Jericho milestone

Palestinians yesterday marked the 10,000th anniversary of the founding of Jericho, an oasis town in the West Bank that may be the world's oldest city.

There is evidence the town near the Dead Sea dates back to 9000 BC and urban fortifications date back to 7000 BC, predating Egypt's pyramids by 4000 years.

Jericho is the second most popular Palestinian tourist destination after Bethlehem and has had a surge of visitors in recent years as security in the West Bank has improved since the 2000 Palestinian uprising.