Israeli archaeologists have revealed a 1,200-year-old palace in Rahat, adding to the body of knowledge about the area where a mosque was recently found in the southern desert.
The residence, which the Israel Antiquities Authority referred to as a “luxurious country mansion,” had a marble-paved hallway and frescoed walls.According to the IAA, it was the first structure of its kind to be discovered in the southern Negev desert. It included domed apartments arranged around a central courtyard.
A cistern and oil lamp remnants were discovered beneath in storage spaces.According to a statement from the archaeologists in charge of the excavations, “the opulent estate and the distinctive magnificent underground vaults are evidence of the owners’ means.”
