During the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, several new heritage sites were added to the prestigious list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. One noteworthy addition is the Tell es-Sultan site, situated in the Jordan Valley, Palestine.
Tell es-Sultan is an oval-shaped prehistoric mound and marks Palestine’s fourth UNESCO site. This prehistoric site dates back to the 9th-8th century BC, predating even Egypt’s pyramids. Located in Jericho, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank of Palestine, Jericho itself is renowned as the world’s oldest continually inhabited city.
About Tell es-Sultan: UNESCO has described Tell es-Sultan as “an integral part of the diverse Palestinian heritage of exceptional human value.” This site came into existence around the 9th-8th millennium BC, making it more than 10,000 years old. Its strategic location with fertile soil and easy access to water made it an attractive settlement for prehistoric communities.
Extensive excavations at Tell es-Sultan have uncovered human remains and artifacts dating back to the Neolithic period. Evidence from the Bronze Age suggests advanced urban planning in the area, with archaeological remains providing insights into a large Canaanite city-state that once thrived here. The site bears witness to a continuous and evolving society throughout its long history.
With the inclusion of Tell es-Sultan, Palestine now boasts a total of four UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Ancient Jericho/Tell es-Sultan (inscribed in 2023), Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem (inscribed in 2012), Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town (inscribed in 2017), and Palestine: Land of Olives and Vines – Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir (inscribed in 2014). Additionally, there are 13 more historically significant sites in Palestine on UNESCO’s Tentative List.