HISHAM PALACE (KHIRBET EL-MAFJAR)

The Hisham Palace is one of Jericho's main attractions. The building was constructed around 730 during the reign of Hisham, the ^8th caliph of the Umayyad dynasty. But it was only inhabited by his successor, and then only for a short time, as the great earthquake of 747 severely damaged the building. The accumulation of debris helped to preserve it until it was unearthed by archaeologists. This palace is similar to the "desert castles" of northeastern Jordan. It served as a secondary residence for the caliph who reigned in Damascus and came to Jericho for relaxation and entertainment. The site included a palace, two mosques and huge baths, all richly decorated with sumptuous mosaics.

Main site. The tour begins with a small museum, before entering a courtyard with a mosaic-paved pool and fountain. A wide entrance and vestibule lead to the palace proper, surrounded by a colonnaded courtyard. The façade was decorated with arched windows on two levels. Opposite the entrance, the reception hall was preceded by a serdab, a cool room for the summer. To the south was a small mosque, the minaret of which remains. The north side of the courtyard housed stables. The entire building was adorned with stone carvings, stuccowork and paintings; the entrance and hall were particularly elaborate. The decoration is floral, animal and includes female representations, notably of dancers. The main mosque, accessed from both inside and outside the palace, is preceded by a large courtyard with two naves.

The baths. The main entrance, to the east, is dominated by the caliph's statue on a pedestal adorned with two lions. Sixteen clustered pillars support a central dome. The floor of the pool is covered with a mosaic. The key to the dome is adorned with a stucco rosette depicting human faces and acanthus leaves. The pendentives are decorated with winged horses. A second entrance in the southwest corner probably had a private function: it allowed access to the baths directly from the palace. This room was probably reserved for the caliph. The superb mosaics on the floor and walls depict the Tree of Life framed by a lion attacking a deer and two other peaceful deer. Interpretations vary, but the lion is thought to represent the caliph and the hinds his wives (his harem).