Tell Umm el-'Amr

Tell Umm el-'Amr, also known as Tell Umm Amer, is an archaeological site located in the Nuseirat refugee camp, Deir al-Balah Governorate, Gaza Strip, Palestine.

Tell Umm Amer

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Saint Hilarion Monastery/Tell Umm Amer
Location	Gaza Strip,  State of Palestine
Criteria	Cultural: (ii), (iii), (vi)
Reference	1749
Coordinates	31°26′50″N 34°21′59″E

Location

Tell Umm el-ʿAmr is located in the dune landscapes south of the mouth of the Wadi Ghazzeh in the area of the Al Nusairat refugee camp, about 5.28 miles south of Gaza City.^[1] The distance to the Mediterranean coast is 1000–2000 feet. In the east and southeast of the Tell Umm el-'Amr site, there are palm groves that form a border with the neighboring town of Deir al-Balah. The archaeological site covers an area of approximately 46000 square feet.^[2]

History

Uncovered by local archaeologists in 1999, the Tell Umm el-'Amr site was active from the 4th to the 8th century and contains Christian artifacts.^[3] Currently, the site consists of the monastery of Saint Hilarion; as well as religious buildings (e.g. church, cloister) and all the outbuildings necessary for the life of the monks (e.g. miscellaneous room, dormitory). Additionally, the archaeologists found a hotel complex and baths probably used by visiting pilgrims at the site. The Saint Hilarion Monastery is dedicated to Hilarion of Gaza and is nominated as a UNESCO world heritage site.^[4]

Preservation and protection

In 2013, fundraising was launched in order to be able to carry out excavations on the site and put in place protection measures.^[5]

In 2024, a request for UNESCO world heritage status was submitted.^[4] Following their addition in July 2024, both Tell Umm el-'Amr and Saint Hilarion Monastery were included on the List of World Heritage in Danger by UNESCO.^[6]

References

1. Rami K. Isaac, C. Michael Hall, Freya Higgins-Desbiolles (2018). The Politics and Power of Tourism in Palestine. Routledge. pp. 137–148. ISBN 9781138592285.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
2. Elter, René; Hassoune, Ayman (1 January 2008). "Le complexe du bain du monastère de Saint Hilarion à Umm el-'Amr, première synthèse architecturale". Syria (in French) (85): 129–144. doi:10.4000/syria.474.
3. "Tell Umm El-'Amr (Saint Hilarion Monastery)". World Monuments Fund. Archived from the original on 2023-12-01. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
4. "Nominations to be examined at the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee (2024)". UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Archived from the original on 2021-07-31. Retrieved 2024-07-02.
5. "Sauver Saint-Hilarion à Gaza, le plus vieux monastère de Terre sainte". Le Point (in French). 2013-06-04. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
6. "The Monastery of Saint Hilarion/Tell Umm Amer in Palestine is inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. 2024-07-26. Archived from the original on 2024-07-30. Retrieved 2024-07-26.