Cypros

Perched on a steep hill above the oasis pf Jericho, Cypros was a significant fortified palace built by Herod. Its main purpose was to monitor his estate in Jericho, as well as the road connecting Jericho with Jerusalem. The site was named after his mother, the Nabatean Princess Cypros, and was on of two forts placed on the cliffs above Jericho. The site was excavated in 1974 by Prof. Netzer from the Hebrew University. Shortly after, the Israeli army established a military bunker over parts of the site. The remains were relatively fragmentary, but they included a bath house with a colorful floor tiling (‘Opus Sectile’) and a big size bath tab made of one block of colorful stone. Weighting a ton and a half, the tab was restored and exhibited in the Israel museum. Aside its archaeological remains, the site offers some breathtaking views of Jericho and the plains of the Jordan valley.