was enough to encourage de-mining and further development. Soon afterwards, there were several archaeological digs led by Dr. Mohammad Waheeb who rediscovered the ancient site in 1997. The 1990s marked the period of archaeological excavations of the site followed by primary conservation and restoration measures during the early 21st century. Jordan fully reopened al-Maghtas in 2002. This was then followed by the Israeli-run western side, known as Qasr el-Yahud, which was opened for daily visits in 2011 - the traditional Epiphany celebrations had already been allowed to take place since 1985, but only at the specific Catholic and Orthodox dates and under military supervision. In 2007, a documentary film entitled The Baptism of Jesus Christ – Uncovering Bethany Beyond the Jordan was made about the site. The western side attracts larger tourist interest than its Jordanian counterpart, with half a million visitors compared to some ten thousand on the Jordanian side. Other estimates put the numbers as 300,000 on the Israeli-occupied Palestinian side and 100,000 on the Jordanian side. To put that into perspective, Yardenit has more than 400,000 visitors per year. In the millennium year 2000, John Paul II was the first pope to visit the site. His two successors, popes Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, also visited the site, as have a number of heads of state and other dignitaries. In 2002, Christians commemorated the baptism of Christ at the site for the first time since its rediscovery. Since then, thousands of Christian pilgrims from around the world annually have marked Epiphany at Bethany Beyond the Jordan. Also in 2002, the Baptism Site opened for daily visits, attracting a constant influx of tourists and pilgrimage activity. In 2015, the UNESCO declared the Al-Maghtas site in Jordan, on the east bank of the River Jordan, as a World Heritage Site, while Qasr el-Yahud was left out. Features Archaeological excavations at the site of the 1990s have revealed religious edifices of the Roman and Byzantine periods which include "churches and chapels, a monastery, caves used by hermits and pools", which were venues of baptisms. The excavations have been supported by institutions from various countries, such as the US and Finland, and by the German Protestant Institute. Tell el-Kharrar or Elijah's Hill and the baptismal pools The digs unearthed three churches, three baptismal pools, a circular well and an external compound encircling the hill. The existence of water supply sourced from