Khirbet al-Mafjar Audience/Ball Hall
Title: Khirbet al-Mafjar
Date: Early 8th century
Location: Jericho, Palestine
Khirbet al-Mafjar is an Umayyad desert palace located in Jericho, Palestine. This complex is known for its notably large audience/bath hall that contains an 8900 square foot mosaic carpet. At the beginning of the bath hall's excavation in the late 1930s-1940s, archeologist Robert Hamilton was the first to propose a purpose for the hall's extravagance. He believed that this hall was ordered by Caliph al-Walid II and, due to its luxurious nature and semi-nude depictions of women, was the location of his adulterous activities. After further excavation, current archeologists speculate that the complex was built by Hisham ibn 'Abd al-Malik, Walid II's uncle, and the extravagance is a result of the Umayyads' need to validate their political power.