Prehistoric Tell es-Sultan site in Palestine makes it to UNESCO’s World Heritage list

The ongoing 45th session of the World Heritage Committee in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has brought in several new heritage sites in the existing list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. One such site is the Tell es-Sultan site, located in Jordan Valley, Palestine.

The oval-shaped prehistoric mound of Tell es-Sultan is Palestine’s fourth UNESCO site. The prehistoric Tell es-Sultan dates back to the 9th-8th century BC, even older than the pyramids of Egypt. Tell es-Sultan is located in Jericho, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Palestine. Jericho itself is the world’s oldest continually inhabited city.

About Tell es-Sultan

UNESCO described the site as "an integral part of the diverse Palestinian heritage of exceptional human value". Tell es-Sultan came into being around 9th - 8th millennium BC, more than 10,000 years ago. The presence of fertile soil and easy access to water made it conducive for the prehistoric communities to build settlements here.


Researchers have excavated several human remains and artefacts dating back to the Neolithic period. There was also evidence from the Bronze Age that pointed towards urban planning. The archaeological remains of a large canaanite city-state that was excavated from the area is a good example of this. In short, the site showed evidence of a continuous society.



With the addition of Tell es-Sultan, Palestine now has a total of four UNESCO World Heritage Sites. They are – 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.


There are 13 more sites in Palestine of great historical significance that are on UNESCO’s Tentative List.