Hisham’s Palace (Khirbet al-Mafjar)

Representing a sample of early Islamic architecture, the ruins of this impressive desert palace lie 3 km from the northern outskirts of Jericho.

This country residence of the Umayyad Caliph Hisham (724-743 AD) is a complex of royal buildings, mosques, baths, and colonnaded courts. There are also spectacular mosaic floors can be seen including the “Tree of Life” mosaic, one of the most beautiful in the world. Another famous feature is a courtyard framework featuring the shape of hexagonal Umayyad star. http://www.jerichomafjarproject.org/