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 5.3 miles (8.5 km) south of Gaza City.^[1] The distance to the Mediterranean coast is 1,000–2,000 feet (300–610 m). 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 46,000 square feet (4,300 m²).^[2]

History

A 13th- or 14th-century lamp in the shape of a slipper discovered at Tell Umm el-Amr

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] The ancient village of Tabatha was once located there.^[4][5] 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.^[6]

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.^[7]

The British Council's Cultural Protection Fund funded a conservation programme at Tell Umm el-'Amr.^[8]

In 2024, a request for UNESCO world heritage status was submitted.^[6] 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.^[9]