On Saturday, September 12, 2026, the historic site of Mukawir (Machaerus)in Madaba Governorate hosted an exceptional musical evening, featuring George Frideric Handel’s celebrated oratorio of “the Messiah titled, “Echoes of Faith… Voices of Heritage.”

More than 2,500 people attended the event, held at the site which is historically associated with the martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist. The evening was held under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan Ibn Talal and was organized by the Friends of Jordan Festivals Association, with the support of the Delegation of the European Union to the Kingdom.

The participants in the evening included a number of Jordanian and European musicians, including Jordanian soprano Dima Bawab, in addition to musicians Tareq Al Jundi, Rami Al Jundi, and Rula Barghouti, alongside the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra and Choir, as the performance brought internationally renowned religious music with Mukawir’s historic and spiritual heritage in an open-air setting held amid the natural landscape of the archaeological site.

The evening is part of a cultural and spiritual event leading up to the year 2030 at a time when the world will commemorate the universal anniversary of Saint John the Baptist. This initiative seeks to highlight the religious and historical significance of the site, enhance Mukawir’s presence on the map of Christian pilgrimage, as well as religious and cultural  tourism in addition to introducing Jordan’s deeply rooted Christian heritage.

Mukawir holds particular significance in Christian tradition because of its association with the imprisonment and martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist, as the remains of Mukawir Fortress stand atop a mountain overlooking the Dead Sea, making it one of the prominent sites connected to the history of the Holy Land and the life of John the Baptist, who occupies a central place according to the Holy Bible’s narrative in his capacity as the one who prepared the way for Jesus Christ.