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A five-million-square ancient mosaic was unveiled in the on Thursday, believed to be one of the largest and most important mosaics in the world.��

The historical treasure decorates the main bathhouse at Hisham's Palace, a major archaeological site just north of the city of .��

It is and has taken five years as well as some $12 million to restore, so it can be opened up safely to the public.��

Palestinian Tourism Minister Rula Maa’yah said the mosaic is an international treasure both because of its immense size and because it is preserved in its original location.��

The size of the mosaic panels is approximately 835 square metres.

They show beautiful floral and geometric designs made up of 21 colours, including red, blue and ochre.��

🇵🇸 the world largest mosaic!

— Martin Parent (@MartinJerusalem)

One part of the ancient floor shows the “tree of life,” said Jericho Governor Majed Al-Fityani, with a preying on a deer on the left side of the tree and two deers living peacefully on the other side.��

This image is supposed to symbolise war and peace.��

The mosaic is believed to be from the Umayyad period, which lasted from 660 to 750 AD.��

It is disputed whether the Umayyad Caliph Hisham bin Abd al-Malik or his nephew and successor al-Walid II built the Palace.��

In 947 AD the mosaic was buried under rubble caused by an earthquake.��

The Palace remained forgotten for centuries until it was rediscovered in the 19th century.��

In 2016 a Japanese-funded restoration effort was launched. Five years later, the ancient artefact was uncovered on Thursday for members of the public and press, then recovered until a protective roof is finished next year.��

The Palestinian tourism ministry hopes the newly-restored mosaic will become a major attraction in future.��

Palestinians in the West Bank live underwith restrictions on their freedom of movement and access to basic amenities.��

Often Israeli authorities deny entry for non-registered Palestinians into the West Bank as well as obstructing entry for their non-registered spouses and other family members, according to Human Rights Watch.��

The unveiling comes just weeks afterof a Palestinian cemetery to make way for a “biblical”�� theme park.��

as they demonstrated against the bulldozing.��