Palestinian government hopes ancient shrine can lure in tourists
The Palestinian ministries of Tourism and Endowments are planning to renovate Jericho’s Shrine of the Prophet Moses to boost tourism and revive the economy.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The bidding results for parties who would operate the Tomb of the Prophet Moses (Nabi Musa) near Jericho are expected to be announced March 28, according to the Religious Endowments and Affairs Ministry.
The Palestinian Tourism Ministry launched restoration and rehabilitation activities of the tomb Feb. 26 in cooperation with the Religious Endowments Ministry, which owns the shrine. The works aim to turn the site into a hotel destination and attract more tourists.
The shrine consists of three floors, a sanctuary that includes a mosque and what some believe to be Moses' tomb, corridors, horse stables and guest rooms. The two ministries are bent on operating the shrine for the first time in the framework of a partnership between the public and private sectors, by turning the deserted guest rooms into hotel rooms and by welcoming guests, opening a restaurant in the corridors, and by establishing two meeting halls, workshops and an interactive museum in the surroundings. This would help preserve the shrine’s religious, historical and cultural value, and at the same time increase the number of tourists to the Palestinian territories and help revive the economic situation.
Jihad Yassin, the general director of museums and excavation at the Tourism and Antiquities Ministry and coordinator of the restoration project, told Al-Monitor, “The Prophet Moses shrine is one of the most important in the Palestinian territories because it is a pillar of Islamic heritage and history, cultural and national identity, and global heritage. It was built during the Ayyubid era [1269], and then it was renovated and remodeled in the Ottoman era in 1820.”
