Photos by Annette Honey Hochstadt, (American University), Student Correspondent for CET Jordan, Spring 2025
Trip to Mount Nebo and Madaba
CET took us on a lovely trip to Mt. Nebo! Mt. Nebo is said to have been the place where Moses saw the holy land and then passed away. The view from the top allowed us to see the Dead Sea. Jerusalem, and Bethlehem. It was really cool to explore this beautiful mountain which included a museum and a trip inside the Moses Memorial Church.
Inside the Moses Memorial Church we got to see Byzantine mosaics that date to 530 CE which depict Byzantine Hunters and Byzantine life. The mosaics were beautiful and super interesting to see!
After Mt. Nebo, we then went to the nearby city of Madaba, known for its mosaics and old churches. There we visited St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church and the Church of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist. In St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church lies a mosaic map of the holy land dating to 560 CE which shows prominent sites in the area with Greek captions.
The Mosaic was super cool to see and once contained over 2 million pieces! The Church of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist was also super cool to explore because it has the remains of an old Byzantine Castle underneath it. We then got to climb the bell tower and see incredible panoramic views of the city!
Dead Sea
Over break, I visited the Dead Sea! It was so beautiful to witness this sea! I floated in it and was very buoyant because of the high salt content of the sea. Then in the south of the sea, I got to see a salt beach where salt has naturally built up over time. Unfortunately, the sea is shrinking each year so I am glad I got to visit it now!
Wadi Rum
Later in the break I visited Wadi Rum. This national park is also a world heritage site and boots beautiful dessert views and stunning rock formations. It was also the place where many movies were filmed like Star Wars, the Martian, and Dune. I am so glad I got to see this stunning area and I can’t wait to return with CET in a few weeks! I also loved seeing the camels and donkeys there!