JERICHO, Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh yesterday unveiled in the ancient West Bank city of Jericho one of the world’s largest covered mosaic floorings located at Hisham Palace.

“We are celebrating the new opening of Hisham Palace, which is considered an important landmark in the history of Palestine,” said Shtayyeh at the unveiling ceremony organized by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities after the completion of a project covering and shading the mosaic floor panel in the palace of the Umayyad Caliph Hisham bin Abdul Malik, which was built 1,300 years ago.

Now tourists from all over the world can visit Hisham’s archaeological palace, he said, thanking Japan for donating $12 million to the project.

“The mosaic floor, which consists of 21 colors, represents the sand, soil and stones of Palestine, and the reflection of the colors in the palace reflects the colors of our skin,” added the Prime Minister.

“The issue in Palestine is not a novel, and it is not a religious issue, but a political issue that needs a political solution that leads to the establishment of the independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital,” he added.

Jericho and the Jordan Valley are the lowest point on the surface of the earth below sea level. The Jordan Valley is also considered the food basket of Palestine. There are currently 35 illegal Jewish settlements in the occupied Jordan Valley that exploit Palestinian natural resources for their benefit and growth while Palestinians are not allowed to develop or benefit from these resources.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency