PICTURES: Stunning 7 million tile 'carpet mosaic' revealed in Jericho after 80 years

posted on: Dec 5, 2016

The palace was destroyed by an earthquake in the eighth century.

The mosaic was first discovered in 1935 by Palestinian archaeologist Dimitri Baramki, and the British archaeologist Robert Hamilton.

Following a three-month excavation process, the resurfaced stones bring to life stunning, nearly perfect geometric patterns, each intricately detailed in one of 38 floor sections.

The patterns, in bright reds and pinks, radiate outward from the central mosaic, which is a floral design of interlocking triangles.

Since being excavated in the 1930s and 1940s, the mosaic largely remained hidden under canvas and soil to protect it against sun and rain.

Tourism Minister Rula Ma’ayah says the mosaic, which depicts 38 scenes in 21 colors, will be covered again until construction of a protective roof is completed next year.

Dating from the eighth century AD, the floor covers about 820 square metres (8,825 square feet) at the desert castle known as Hisham’s Palace, an important Islamic antiquities site just north of the ancient city.

It is made up of 38 panels bearing delicate floral and geometric designs and is one of the oldest and largest in the region to have never been moved, senior Palestinian Authority conservation official Ihab Daoud told AFP.

The floor was first excavated in 1930 but left largely untouched until the early 21st century, Daoud said.

In recent years it has been recovered under layers of canvas to protect it from the elements.

Now work is beginning to make the masterpiece accessible to visitors by the end of 2018, incorporating a viewing walkway and a shelter, with financing from Japan.

Last month the mosaic was displayed at the project launch, before being covered again to shield it from the surrounding construction work.

Hisham’s Palace was built during the Umayyad dynasty, which lasted from 660 to 750 AD.

Rediscovered in the 19th century, the remarkable site covering about 150 acres (60 hectares) comprises a palace, baths and an agricultural estate was explored in detail in the 1930s.

It was then that the mosaic was uncovered beneath the dust, but like the rest of the site it was neglected during years of Jordanian, then Israeli rule, Daoud said.

One stunning part is already on show.

Entitled ‘The Tree of Life’ it shows a wild beast attacking gazelles under a fruit tree.

‘Hisham’s Palace is one of the most famous sites in Jericho, one of the most important places in Palestine,’ Iyad Hamdan, head of Jericho’s Ministry of Tourism, said of the 150-acre archaeological site, which is composed of a palace, audience hall, thermal bath and fountain pavilion built during the Umayyad period.

‘Last year, 120,000 people visited Hisham’s Palace.

‘After we uncover the mosaic, we expect the number of visitors to double or triple.’

The restoration project, expected to finish in 2018, will see the mosaic uncovered permanently, topped with an elevated viewing walkway and shelter.

‘This site is not just for us as Palestinians,’ Hamdan said.

‘It is for the world.’