Conservation work has begun on one of the Middle East’s largest mosaics. The project to restore the nearly 1,300-year-old, 827 sq. m carpet mosaic in the hammam (public bath) at Hisham’s Palace complex near Jericho, in Palestine’s West Bank, is expected to cost at least ¥1.235bn (around $11.4m).

 

The project, funded by the Japanese government, launched on 20 October with a ceremonial unveiling of the mosaic, which has been hidden under protective layers of fabric, soil and sand since it was excavated in the 1930s. As well as the actual conservation of the mosaic, the initiative also includes a new structure that will be constructed to protect the site from the elements. “The [conservation] phase will continue for at least two months and the floor will be covered partially during this period,” says a spokesman for the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

The palace complex was built in around AD734 during the Umayyad period. It is renowned for its hammam—one of the largest in the region—as well as for its elaborate decoration, which includes stucco carvings, sculptures and, of course, mosaics. Its Tree of Life mosaic, which depicts a lion attacking a gazelle under a fruit tree, is considered to be one of the most accomplished of its period. According to the Ministry of Tourism in Jericho, Hisham’s Palace is visited by around 200,000 tourists a year. The hammam, which is currently not part of the palace tour, will be open to visitors once the project is finished.

 

The project is part of a wider Japanese programme to assist tourism development and sustainable economic growth in Palestine and in the Jordan Valley. The Asian country’s collaboration with Palestine began in 2010 and has included training courses in tourism and cultural heritage. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, building work on the site will start in May 2017. A spokeswoman from the Japanese embassy in Israel says that works are due to be completed in September 2018.