The northern Jordan Valley area in the occupied West Bank is full of historical sites and sugar mills which the area was famous for during the Ayyubid Dynasty and The Crusades eras. Despite its great importance and its important archaeological significance these mills are no longer functioning in Jericho but rather they are neglected and marginalized.
According to Palestinian storyteller Hamza Aqrabawi sugar cane mills are considered to be one of the most important historical sites in Jericho which goes back to The Ayyubid and the Crusades eras and even until the end of the Mamluk Sultanate. Some coins found there date back to the early Ayyubid period. The history of the sugar mills in connected with the Mamluk pottery.
History of Production
Aqrawbai says the history of the site goes back to 3600 BC when it was used in producing and making sugar from the farms of Jericho and exporting it to the outside world. However since 1994 very little attention has been paid to this historical touristic site as they were turned into places to herd sheep and landfills.
Aqrabawi pointed out that some of the historical remains in the area include canals which were used to transfer water from the nearby Ain al-Duyuk area which was used to generate power to operate the mills in addition to some workshops which were used to manufacture ceramics as well as the sugar cane old pressers and factory.
Negligence after prosperity
Aqrabawi expressed his extreme sorrow that these historical sugar mills are neglected by the Ministry of Tourism and other relevant institutions noting that they have lived golden eras of sugar production which was one of the economic pillars for the Ayyubid dynasty and the Crusades.
Aqrabawi called for renovating the mills and maintaining them and including this historical site in the plans of the Ministry of Tourism school curricula and tourist guides. In addition he urged the Ministry to add it to the map of historical sites in Jericho stressing that the city was famous for producing sugar in the past.
Historical information of this site indicates that it has witnessed production of sugar in big quantities. Inside the kitchen of the site copper antiques were found as well as metals swords sheet metals needles rings jewelries some of the remains resulting from melting iron which suggests that the site had also seen iron-production.
