Palestinian city included in UNESCO cultural heritage list
Tell al-Sultan in Jericho is prehistoric archeological site that houses oldest continuously inhabited settlement in world
JERUSALEM, Palestine – The site of Tell al-Sultan in Jericho, Palestine, has been inscribed on the World Heritage List UNESCO.
The site is a prehistoric archeological site that houses the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in the world.
It is the fourth Palestinian site to be inscribed on the World Heritage List of UNESCO.
The site’s inclusion followed a three-year application period during which no State Party objected.
The Palestinian Authority welcomed the inclusion of the Tell al-Sultan site on the list, calling it “a matter of great importance and a testament to the authenticity and history of the Palestinian people.”
UNESCO said that the “skulls and statues” found at the site” testify to cultic practices of the Neolithic population, while the archeological material from the early Bronze Age shows signs of urban planning.
“The property proposed for nomination is the prehistoric archaeological site of Tell al-Sultan, located outside the antique site of Jericho,” said UNESCO’s assistant director general, Ernesto Ottone.
No Jewish or Christian remains were found at the Tell al-Sultan site.
Israel withdrew from the UN organization in 2019, accusing it of anti-Israel stance, but sent a delegation to this year’s meeting in Saudi Arabia.Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas vowed that the Palestinian authorities would “continue to preserve this unique site for all humanity”, according to a statement from his office.
UNESCO’s listing shows that the Tell al-Sultan site is “an integral part of the diverse Palestinian heritage of exceptional human value”, Palestinian tourism minister Rula Maayah, who was attending the meeting in Riyadh, said in a statement.
Given Tell al-Sultan’s “importance as the oldest fortified city in the world… it deserves to be a World Heritage Site,” she said.
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