Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – The Palestinian archaeological site, Tell es-Sultan, in the West Bank was included in the latest World Heritage List released by UNESCO last September. In that list, UNESCO included Tell es-Sultan along with 36 other sites.
Tell es-Sultan is a site containing the ruins of the oldest fortified city in the world. This site is close to the Ein as-Sultan refugee camp, two kilometers north of the city center of Jericho, Palestine.
However, UNESCO’s announcement to include Tell es-Sultan as a world cultural heritage was met with protests from Israeli officials. They did not accept this because Tell es-Sultan, which in Hebrew is called Jericho, is in territory controlled by Israel.
 Photo: Jericho/Tell es-Sultan site in the West Bank, Palestine (Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (MoTA) via Unesco) |
Israel’s Foreign Ministry released a statement saying it condemned the decision and said Palestine was making a “cynical” attempt to politicize UNESCO.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs considers today’s decision as another sign of Palestinian cynicism towards UNESCO and the politicization of the organization,” wrote a statement from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, citing Al JazeeraFriday (10/11/2023).
“Israel will act together with its partners in the organization to reverse the wrong decisions made,” the statement continued.
Responding to this, the President of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbad, said that the inclusion of Ancient Jericho on the list of World Heritage Sites was proof of the authenticity and history of the Palestinian people.
“Palestine is committed to preserving this unique site for the benefit of humanity,” said Abbas.
History of Tell es-Sultan in Palestine
 Photo: AP/Mahmoud IlleanTell es-Sultan archaeological near Jericho, West Bank, site is seen Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023. A UN conference voted Sunday to list the site as a World Heritage Site in Palestine, a decision likely to anger Israel, which controls the territory and does not recognize a Palestinian state. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean) |
Located in the Jordan Valley, Tell es-Sultan holds evidence of prehistoric human activity. On this site there is also the eternal spring ‘Ain es-Sultan.’
The city has been inhabited since the 10th millennium BC, making Jericho one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.
The city’s first excavations were carried out around the Ain es-Sultan spring by Charles Warren in 1868 on behalf of the Palestine Exploration Fund. Warren excavated nine mounds in the spring area; during one of the excavations, workers unearthed mud bricks in the walls without realizing the existence of the ancient site.
The most recent excavations at Tell es-Sultan were carried out from 2009 to 2023 by the Italian-Palestinian Expedition led by Lorenzo Nigro for the Sapienza University of Rome and Jehad Yasine for the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities.
Excavations at this site revealed several monuments of the Bronze Age City: the Palace on Spring Hill, the southeastern Gate, called the Gate of Jerusalem, and several features of the ancient city walls.
[Gambas:Video CNBC]
Next Article
This is the appearance of the UNESCO Heritage Site that Israel opposes
(hsy/hsy)