2023 - An Underground Mamluk Structure in Nablus
A startling find appeared under the Cultural Heritage Enrichment Centre in the old city of Nablus. While cleaning oil wells for storing olive oil used to make soap as an activity in the Centre upstairs, which used to be an ancient soap factory, it was discovered that the structure beneath the building was a Mamluk one.
The type of stone used, the shape of the roofing, the number of cylindrical columns, and the barrel and cross vaulted structures immediately gave away that these rooms were extremely old.
This project furthered this discovery by excavating the newly discovered underground rooms, carrying out restoration work for the building, and setting up a permanent photo exhibition in the same area for topics related to Islamic art.
This is an exciting development to a 2004 Barakat Trust project, which funded the establishment of the Enrichment Centre. Now, the photo exhibition will give visitors a magical feel of going deep into the ground to explore ancient history that engages young people. This exciting discover certainly adds to the story of the Ottoman era city one can see when walking around Nablus.
