Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil was welcomed with special ceremony, music and church chants in the Jordanian city of Madaba, known as “Medeba” in the Old Testament. The Bulgarian church delegation was accompanied by Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem and Archbishop Christophoros of Kyriakoupolis, the Bulgarian Patriarchate said.
Patriarch Daniil and the church delegation accompanying him arrived in Jordan on Monday, where they visited the spring of St John the Baptist and the Jordan River.
The church of St George in Madaba preserves a mosaic map created in the second half of the sixth century, around 565, as part of the floor decoration of a Byzantine church in ancient Medeba (Madaba). The mosaic is the oldest surviving geographical map of the Holy Land, with Jerusalem depicted at its centre.
It depicts dozens of cities, settlements, rivers and holy sites in Palestine, the lands east of the Jordan, Egypt and southern Syria, identified by Greek inscriptions. Of particular value is the detailed plan of Jerusalem from the Byzantine period, showing the city walls, streets and important Christian churches.
After being buried, the mosaic was rediscovered in 1884, when the Orthodox community was preparing to build the present-day Church of St George on the remains of the ancient church. A significant part of the map has been lost, but the surviving fragment remains one of the most important sources for the study of biblical geography and the topography of the Holy Land in the sixth century.
Patriarch Daniil also visited the Orthodox school attached to the monastery and Church of St George, where Orthodox children from the city are educated. The Bulgarian Patriarch greeted the monastery’s abbot and wished that God would help the development of education and the upbringing of children in the city and the church community.
Daniil’s visit to the Patriarchate of Jerusalem will continue until September 30. According to his official programme, he is also due to visit other holy sites associated with the Christian faith.
Bulgarian Patriarch and Metropolitan of Sofia Daniil arrived in Israel on September 25 for his first irenic visit to the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The visit is at the invitation of Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem and following a decision by the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church – Bulgarian Patriarchate. The delegation includes Metropolitan John of Varna and Veliki Preslav, Metropolitan Seraphim of Nevrokop, Bishop Gerasim of Melnik, Secretary General of the Holy Synod, Protodeacon Dr Deyan Korunoski, Dr Aleksandar Smochevski, patriarchal adviser and interpreter, and others.
On Saturday, Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem presented Patriarch Daniil with the Order of the Cross of the Holy Sepulchre, the highest distinction of the ancient Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil Welcomed in Jordan’s Madaba with Music and Church Chants 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-09-29 07:37:56
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