Almuraq Palace
Khirbet al-Maureq Palace (a ruin) is located 13 kilometers west of Hebron, next to the town of Al-Koum. Archaeological excavations at the site between 1969 and 1981, revealed a distinguished Roman palace dating back to the first century B.C. It continued to be used even during the first century A.D. It is based on the Roman courts in Rome, Italy, and one of the few examples in Palestine built on this style.
The palace was built on an area of 1,600 square meters, around a colonnaded courtyard measuring 11 x 10 meters, in the middle of which is a rectangular colonnaded hall paved with a mosaic floor. Surrounding the square are four residential wings built of regularly trimmed stonesand are covered from the inside with plaster and plaster. They consist of living rooms, hospitality, services, and stores. The north wing contained a thermal bath and a horse stable in the south of the palace.
The palace has a fortified entrance with a defensive tower on its southwestern side.It also contains a particular system for collecting rainwater through a series of canals and basins, where the water that was collected in wells carved into the rock at the bottom of the palace, in addition to a series of caves, rooms, and catacombs carved into the rock.