Palestine - Hisham’s Palace/ Khirbet al- Mafjar

"Hisham’s Palace/ Khirbet al- Mafjar is one of the most significant early Islamic sites in Palestine. It was built between 724 and 743 AD during the Umayyad period, the first Islamic dynasty. The property is located on the northern bank of Wadi Nueima, approximately 4km north of Jericho city (Ariha) in the Jordan Valley. On the basis of epigraphic materials, archaeologists have concluded that the site was most likely built by Caliph Hisham bin Abd el-Malik (r. 724 to 743 AD), and later decorated by his heir, el-Walid II, between 743 and 744 AD. The site was not the official residence of the caliph, but was instead used as a winter resort. It was destroyed during a severe earthquake in 749 AD. The Northern Area of the site, known as day’a, served as an agricultural estate from the Umayyad to Abbasid periods, approximately 730 to 950 AD."

Source: UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List

Palestine - Ancient Jericho: Tell es-Sultan

"Ancient Jericho/ Tell es-Sultan is one of the oldest towns in the world, dating back to more than 10,000 BP. It is located 10 kilometres northwest of the Dead Sea and 1.5 kilometres north of the modern Jericho (Ariha) city in the lower part of the Jordan Rift Valley at 250 meters below sea level, making it the lowest ancient town in the world. The area’s diverse geological formation and unique tropical and sub-tropical climate zones, alluvial soil, and perennial springs made it an attractive fertile oasis to hunter-gathers, whom had settled down to a sedentary way of life in the Late Epipaleolithic period, and subsequently their descendants, the Natufians, whom might have started the domestication process during the tenth millennium BC. In the Neolithic periods, Jericho witnessed the development of agriculture and a complex and thriving community."

Source: UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List

Palestine - Tell Umm Amer

The first settlement in the site was established during the Roman era on Wadi Gaza close to the seashore. It appears on the Madaba map with the name of Tabatha, dated from the Byzantine to the early Islamic period (400-670AD). The site contains the ruins of the monastery of Saint Hilarion (born in 291 AD), which consists of two churches, a burial site, a baptism hall, a public cemetery, an audience hall, and dining rooms. The monastery was provided with good infrastructure facilities, including water cisterns, clay-ovens and drainage channels. Its floors was partially paved with limestone, marble tiles and coloured mosaics, decorated with plants and animals scenes. A great fifth century mosaic was probably laid on the floor of a chapel. The floors include also a Greek inscription decorated with circular motifs. In addition, the monastery was equipped with baths, consisting of Frigedarium, Tepidarium and Caldarium halls. The wide space of these halls ensured that the baths could adequately serve the pilgrims and merchants crossing the Holy land fromEgyptto theFertile Crescentthrough the main route of Via Maris.

Palestine - Throne Villages

IBWEIN Latitude: 35ْْْ 12'5.123 Longitude: 32ْْْ 2'9.556 ARRABEH Latitude: 35ْْْ 12'7.192 Longitude: 32ْْْ 24'16.615 BEIT WAZAN Latitude: 35ْْْ 12'54.038 Longitude: 32ْْْ 13'51.893 BURQA Latitude: 35ْْْ 11'31.679 Longitude: 32ْْْ 18'5.876 DEIR GHASSANEH Latitude: 35ْْْ 5'49.63 Longitude: 32ْْْ 2'47.195 DEIR ISTIA Latitude: 35ْْْ 8'21.89 Longitude: 32ْْْ 7'49.665 DURA Latitude: 35ْْْ 1'36.752 Longitude: 31ْْْ 30'23.773 JAMMA'IN Latitude: 35ْْْ 11'56.832 Longitude: 32ْْْ 7'49.412 KUR Latitude: 35ْْْ 5'48.495 Longitude: 32ْْْ 14'5.581 NELEAN Latitude: 35ْْْ 1'17.655 Longitude: 31ْْْ 56'46.851 RAS KARKAR Latitude: 35ْْْ 6'9.555 Longitude: 31ْْْ 56'34.723 SEBASTIA Latitude: 35ْْْ 11'40.996 Longitude: 32ْْْ 16'33.206 SANUR Latitude: 35ْْْ 14'48.024 Longitude: 32ْْْ 21'19.864 Throne villages represent a homogeneous architectural horizon, confined to the central highlands of Palestine. During the 18th and 19th century, these highlands were divided into twenty-four administrative domains (sheikdoms), ruled by sheikhs who belonged to rich or noble families. The villages in which the sheikhs and their clans resided were called "throne villages". Throne villages reflect the social and political role-played by the local political leadership of sheiks at that period; these "county seats of the local leaders" were remarkable for their architectural style. It was distinctive in its scale and spatial organization. The feudal system in the central highlands was determined by a different approach adopted by the Ottoman government with the decline of its central political power and the rise of the power of city governors and local leadership. Large families, anxious to gain more power, played a crucial role in this system. The sheikh, who enjoyed great social and political status, was basically the tax collector of his "sheikhdom" on behalf of the Ottoman government from all the villages in his territory. As a result, these sheikhs gained tremendous power and authority, which was reflected in their life style.

Palestine - Umm Al-Rihan forest

Umm Al-Rihan Forest consists of a series of dense forests, which are estimated to be circa 60.000 dunums. The forests surrounding Jenin are considered to be the largest woodlands in the West Bank, forming approximately 86% of the forests. The area of Umm Al-Rihan is state-owned and part of the area is proposed as a natural reserve. This region, with an environmental system that resembles the Mediterranean Seaforest, lies within the semi coastal region. The most important characteristic of this region is being a pathway and a stop over for migratory birds travelling from the coastal region and going to the depression areas. The most important birds that pass by the area are species that are threatened or declining throughout all or large parts of their range in theMiddle East, such as Lesser Kestrel, Honey Buzzard, Egyptian Vulture. In addition to other fauna species that are known to be endangered such as wolves and red foxes. The woodland area is a reservoir of plant diversity, containing mainly the original wild species of barley and wheat, in addition to most of the original wild species of the fruiting trees.

Palestine - Wadi Gaza Coastal Wetlands

The Wadi is distinct for its twists and turns, notably it makes eight curves when it crosses the Gaza Strip. The Wadi banks also support a number of terraces. Its width varies from place to place, and gets wider near its mouth where it reaches about 100 m. Six wadis end into the main Wadi, the most important of which are Abu Qatroun Wadi and Ghalbeh Wadi. Abu Qatroun Wadi cuts through the area north and Ghalbeh Wadi cuts through the area south of Wadi Gaza. The geographical position of Palestine and the location of the Gaza Strip at the corner of the land bridge connecting the continents of Africa and Eurasia, make it a bottleneck for migratory birds. The passage of many migratory birds between the Orient and the Nile valley also takes place through the Gaza Strip. Thousands of ducks, herons, storks, cranes, flamingos, waders, raptors, quails, passerines and other birds have been reported to pass through the Gaza Strip. The most common endemic bird is the Palestinian sunbird (Nectarinia osea) found throughout the year at the Gaza Strip. Studies show that there is an urgent need to protect the Wadi Gaza and it’s surrounding vegetation communities as these habitats contain the highest value for the flora and fauna. The threats to these habitats are quite severe, Wadi Gaza faces many environmental problems that affect the public health and is used as a point to collect sewage from the middle area refugee camps and as a solid waste-dumping site.

Palestine - Wadi Natuf and Shuqba Cave

WADI NATUF Latitude: 35ْْْ 2'33.749 Longitude: 31ْْْ 58'51.871 SHUQBA CAVE Latitude: 35ْْْ 2'32.673 Longitude: 31ْْْ 58'53.953 The cave, formed by karstic activities, was discovered for the scientific world by A. Mallon in 1924. It was excavated by D. Garrod in 1928. Garrod uncovered the evidence for a hitherto unrecognised late Stone Age, pre-agricultural culture which was named after the wadi as the ‘Natufian Culture'. The cave, one of the largest in Palestine, opens into a central chamber (diameter 18 m) with two chimneys in its roof and three side chambers. The excavation revealed the stratigraphic history of the site, with two major prehistoric occupations, the Upper Levallois-Mousterian period (layer D), and Upper Natufian period (layer B), with evidence of use thereafter from the Early Bronze Age to the present. The lithic remains of the Upper Levallois-Mousterian layer consist of points, retouched flakes, a few disks and hand axes, burins, and a large quantity of side scrapers. The major, Upper Natufian layer consisted of black, ashy soil containing a number of human burials, mostly of children, close to the habitation area. The lithic assemblage found for the first time by Garrod in layer B consisted of lunates or crescents, geometric microlithics, sickle blades and a rich bone industry that included points and needles. The Natufian community of Shuqba was characterised by practising a settled pattern of hunter-gatherer activity. Most of the flints are tiny microliths which served as spearheads and arrowheads for hunting. There were also flint sickle blades were used for harvesting wild grain and straw. The Natufian remains indicate a mode of production based on hunting and intensive food gathering by a co-operating group of pre-agricultural communities.

Palestine - Sebastia

Sebaste, identified with ancientSamaria, is the capital of the northern kingdom during the Iron Age II inPalestineand a major urban centre during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. A series of excavations were carried out in the site between 1908-1910 byHarvardUniversity, under the direction of G.A. Reisner and C.S. Fisher, and in 1931-35 by a Joint expedition under the direction of J. Crowfoot. Small excavations were also carried out by the Jordanian Department of Antiquities in 1967. According to the biblical tradition, Omri purchased the hill from a man named Shemer and made it his capital.Samariawas captured by the Assyrians in 722 BC during the reign of Sargun II. After the conquest, the city became the centre of the AssyrianprovinceofSamaria. The excavations uncovered part of the city on the acropolis surrounded by two walls. Within this walled area, several buildings were uncovered, consisting of a monumental building with square rooms and a central courtyard. This building probably functioned as part of the royal quarter. One of the major discoveries in this building is the ivory collection that was found in one room. Under Persian ruleSamariaremained a provincial capital for centralPalestine. In 332 BC,Samariawas captured by Alexander the Great. Massive fortification around the acropolis was added, including a circular tower. The city was completely destroyed by John Hyrcanus in 107 BC.

Palestine - QUMRAN: Caves and Monastery of the Dead Sea Scrolls

The site, identified by some scholars with the biblical “City of Salt”, was occupied mainly during the Greco-Roman period (ca. 150 BC-68 AD). The community that inhabited Qumran is generally identified with the Essenes, a religious sect, which lived in isolation in this region west of the Dead Sea. Qumran became internationally well known in 1947, when a Palestinian shepherd called Mohammad al-Theeb discovered in a cave a series of scrolls, which were known later on as the Dead Sea Scrolls. The cave, then called cave no.1, was excavated in 1949 by a joint expedition from the Jordan Department of Antiquities, thePalestinianArchaeologicalMuseumand the école Biblique Francaise. Similar discoveries were made in eleven other caves between 1952 and 1956. A Copper Scroll consisting of two rolls of copper was found in cave no. 3. The scrolls consist of copies of biblical and apocryphal literature, the writings of the sect, including the Commentaries, the Rule of the Community, the Scroll of the War of the Sons of Light against the Sons of Darkness, and the Damascus Document. The dates of these scrolls range from the II century BC to 68 AD, but mostly dated from the first century BC. The study of the Scrolls developed into an academic discipline known as Qumranic studies. It provides us with valuable information about the history of Judaism and the early phase of Christianity.

Palestine - Old Town of Nablus and its environs

Tell Balata, identified with ancient Shechem, represents the earliest settlement in the Nablus area. It is located at the eastern entrance of modernNablus, between Mount Ebaland Mount Gerizim (see number 4 above). Shechem was mentioned in the Egyptian Execration texts and the Khu-Sebek inscription from the 19th century B.C. It was mentioned in the Amarna Letter in the 14th century BC as a major Canaanite centre ruled by Lab’aya. Shechem is mentioned several times in the Bible. The biblical traditions relate Abraham, Jacob and Joseph to the site. A series of excavations were carried out during the last century by the Austro-German Expedition, 1913-1934, and the Joint American Expedition, 1956, 1968-1969. The excavations revealed the occupational history of the site. Evidence of Chalcolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Hellenistic and Roman remains were uncovered. Shechem was established as a small settlement during the 4th millennium, with an urban centre during the Middle Bronze Age II and Late Bronze Age. The city continued to be occupied during the Late Bronze and Iron Ages. After a period of abandonment during the Iron Age, the city was re-occupied during the Hellenistic period. The Samaritan Shechem was destroyed several times, then destroyed and fully abandoned during the early Roman period. The city then shifted to new site of Neapolis.

Palestine - Mount Gerizim and the Samaritans

Mount Gerizim, or Jebel et-Tor, is the sacred mountain of the Samaritans and has been so for thousands of years. It consists of three peaks, the main summit, the wide flat western hill and Tell er-Ras to the north. It has been traditionally identified with the sacred mountain upon which the Blessing was delivered by Divine decree, a claim which, in Samaritan belief, overrides that of the rival Temple of Jerusalem. On the summit is a rock which the Samaritans believe was the place where Abraham was about to sacrifice his son Isaac.

Palestine - El-Bariyah: wilderness with monasteries

Most of the el-Bariyah area is classified as Irano-Turanian in climate, with a mountainous desert habitat. Essentially a treeless, thin-soiled, arid and dramatically eroding limestone plateau is dissected by wadi draining towards theDead Sea. This region lies in the rain-shadow of the central highlands, classified as a hot area that receives a very low annual rainfall, varied between 400 mm to 150 mm from west to east respectively. Given that this area has a unique geological formation, bio-geographic location, and an abundance of water from flash floods and permanent springs, these factors help to create a natural diversity within the desert habitat in this region. El-Bariyah is consequently classified by the criteria of Birdlife International as one of the most important Bird Areas in theWestern Palaearctic. Birds increasingly concentrate here in considerable numbers during breeding, on passage, and in winter, especially since el-Bariyah is on one of the major migration routes for many bird species worldwide.

Palestine - Baptism Site “Eshria’a” (Al-Maghtas)

The Baptism Site, or “Eshria’a” (Al-Maghtas), is located on the Western Bank of the Jordan River about 10 km east of Jericho in the southern Jordan Valley, and 9 km north of the Dead Sea. The Jordan Rift Valley stretches from Lake Tiberias to the Dead Sea and includes numerous cultural heritage sites dating from the prehistoric eras up to the present. The Baptism Site was immensely populated, especially during the Roman period (1st century BC) through the Mamluk period (15th century AD). Beginning of the 4th century AD, many travellers and pilgrims—notably Bordeaux (333), Bishop Williband (beginning of the eight century AD), and the Russian Abbot Daniel (1106 AD)—wrote detailed descriptions about the baptism place and the ecclesiastical buildings in their environs. According to Christian tradition, it is the location where Jesus Christ was baptized by John the Baptist. It is considered the third holiest Christian site after the church of the Nativity in Bethlehem and the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, and is deemed the birthplace of Jesus’s spiritual strength. From the Byzantine period onward, numerous monasteries, chapels, cells and churches have been erected in the area in commemoration of the baptism of Jesus. It is satiated with sights of Baptismal ceremonies, a regular occurrence which attracts Christian pilgrims from all over the world and testifies to the religious significance of the location.

Palestine - Anthedon Harbour

Anthedon is the first known seaport of Gaza, mentioned in Islamic literature with the names of Tida, apparently an abbreviation of Anthedon, or Blakhiyeh. The city was inhabited from 800 BC to 1100 AD, and witnessed a series of different cultures: Neo-Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine and early Islamic rules (Umayyad, Abbasid, Tulunid and Fatimid). One km south of the seaport of Anthedon lies the ancient harbour of Maiumas, then identified with the harbour of Gaza, which was also continuously populated and became, during the Roman period, a flourishing and well-developed coastal town. Maiumas, which is mentioned only in late classical sources, dates back to an earlier period, at least when the trading with Greece began. “Maiumas” derives from an Egyptian word, which means “maritime place”. The archaeological site of ancient Anthedon has not been precisely identified: there are several heaps of ruins in the neighbourhoods of Gaza which have been considered to be the old harbour; however, the site of Anthedon may probably be identified with a tell located to the north of Gaza known to the natives as Tida. In the Middle Age, Anthedon was known for sure as Tida or Taida.