Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria received a ceremonial welcome in Madaba, Jordan, during his first irenic visit to the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Accompanied by Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem and Archbishop Christophoros of Kyriakoupolis, the Bulgarian Patriarch visited the historic Church of Saint George, home to the famous sixth-century Madaba Mosaic Map.
The Bulgarian ecclesiastical delegation was welcomed with music and hymns in Madaba, a city known in the Old Testament as Medeba (Joshua 13:9).
The visit included an opportunity to view the renowned Madaba Mosaic Map, created around AD 565 as part of the floor decoration of a Byzantine church.
Considered the oldest surviving geographical map of the Holy Land, the mosaic depicts dozens of cities, settlements, rivers and sacred sites across Palestine, Transjordan, Egypt and southern Syria, identified by Greek inscriptions.
Jerusalem occupies a central position on the map, with a particularly detailed representation of the Byzantine city, including its walls, streets and major Christian churches.
The mosaic was rediscovered in 1884, when the local Orthodox community was preparing to construct the present Church of Saint George over the remains of the ancient Byzantine church. Although significant portions of the original mosaic have been lost, the surviving sections remain an important historical source for biblical geography and the topography of the sixth-century Holy Land.
Patriarch Daniel visits Orthodox school in Madaba
During his visit, Patriarch Daniel also toured the Orthodox school associated with the Monastery and Church of Saint George, which provides education to Orthodox children in Madaba.
The Bulgarian Patriarch greeted the monastery’s abbot and expressed his hope that God would continue to support the education and upbringing of children in the city and its Orthodox community.
Patriarch Daniel’s first irenic visit to the Patriarchate of Jerusalem is scheduled to continue until September 30. According to the official program, he will visit additional holy sites associated with the history of Christianity.
Text, photos and video: Angel Karadakov
