Ancient Jordan site restoration brings locals and refugees jobs
19.02.2021
In the ruins of an ancient Byzantine church in northern Jordan, local townspeople and Syrian refugees work side-by-side on a project that preserves cultural heritage and fights poverty.
Meticulously operating by hand with tweezers and brushes, workers restore a mosaic floor piece by piece at the St John the Baptist church, built in 619 AD. It is one of three church mosaic floors under restoration, or recently restored, in the small town of Rihab, adding to an impressive array of such national treasures.
Jordan s most renowned mosaic is one of the oldest maps of the Holy Land, consisting of over two million mosaic stones originally built into the floor of a sixth century Byzantine church in Madaba.