How a 1,500-year-old map led researchers to a hidden city

Time of India

10-06-2025

Ancient maps often have mysteries hidden inside, especially those that enclose the geography of areas rich in history and culture. One such map, the Madaba Mosaic Map, is a precious artifact from the Byzantine era that has surprised historians and archaeologists.
The map that was made over 1,500 years ago offers a detailed depiction of the Holy Land, including many sites that have since been lost to time.
The deep desire to locate these lost cities is not just about uncovering through the ruins, but it is about reconnecting with the past civilizations that pottered the spiritual and economic arena of the region.
Recently, a team of researchers went on a journey to find one of these elusive cities, guided by the ancient mosaic and supported by modern archaeological techniques.
The lost city of Byzantine was found in Jordan
The lost Byzantine city of Tharais has come into the limelight after centuries of obscurity. Tharais, which was once depicted on the famed Madaba Mosaic Map, a 6th-century tile map located in Madaba, Jordan, has been identified near the modern town of El-'Iraq, close to the southeastern edge of the Dead Sea. This was the result of a dedicated research project led by Musallam R. al-Rawahneh, an associate professor of archaeology and ancient Near East studies at Mutah University, spanning from 2021 to 2024, and the team recently published their discoveries in the journal Gephyra.
The Madaba Mosaic Map, allegedly created during Emperor Justinian's reign (527-565 A.D.), is the oldest surviving map of Jordan's Holy Lands and features 157 sites, many still undiscovered. Tharais, a city from the Byzantine Empire, was one such mystery until al-Rawahneh's team combined the ancient map with modern surveys to locate the site. Their fieldwork found mosaic floors, glassware, and tools, indicating a surviving settlement.
Most notably, they found architectural remains resembling a Byzantine basilica, an oblong church structure with an open-air central room, alongside Greek and Latin funerary inscriptions that point to an early Christian community in the area.
According to al-Rawahneh, 'The prominence of Tharais on the Madaba Map and the discovery of a basilica church structure suggest that it served not only as an agricultural village but also as a sacred site and commercial rest stop,' as reported by Türkiye Today.
This dual role tells that Tharais was both a spiritual hub and an economically active center. Evidence of olive oil presses, windmills, and grape-crushing equipment supports the idea that the city was self-sustaining economically.
The layout of the ruins, including gates, towers, and other structures, closely matches the depiction on the Madaba Map, proving the case for the site's identification as Tharais. 'Our aim is not just to uncover Tharais,' al-Rawahneh explained, 'but also to advocate for the protection of Jordan's rich cultural heritage.'
This rediscovery not only fills a gap in the historical record but also offers a vivid glimpse into the life of a Byzantine city that blended religious significance with agricultural prosperity and trade, enriching our understanding of the ancient Near East.