Sliman Mansour, one of Palestine's most celebrated artists and a 'Giant of Arab art', was laid to rest yesterday in his hometown in Palestine. Family, friends, cultural figures and senior officials gathered to pay their respects.The death of the Palestinian artist at the age of 79 was announced on Monday, along with funeral arrangements, which took place at 5pm on Wednesday, August 26, at St Peter’s Church in Birzeit. Condolences were received after the burial, at the town's Grand Hall.As the hearse made its way to the church, a crowd of mourners followed behind to pay their respects. Church leaders and uniformed bagpipe players led the funeral procession.Mourners and members of the clergy march during the funeral procession. AFPShow caption: Mourners and members of the clergy march during the funeral …Olive branches, a motif depicted in many of his most famous works of art, were draped over the open casket. Outside the small church, mourners spilt into the streets to hear the service, as speakers were set up outside.AFP reported that Imad Haddad, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, said at the service: "Many knew his paintings, his colours and his symbol. Many saw Palestine through his eyes and his brush.” The coffin of Sliman Mansour was draped in olive branches, a key motif of the Palestinian artist's body of work. AFPShow caption: The coffin of Sliman Mansour was draped in olive branches, a…Artist Khaled Hourani told AFP: “From the moment the news of his death spread, it was as if all of Palestine was in mourning ... a great loss for Palestinian culture, and it truly feels as though an entire era has ended”.Further condolence gatherings were held at The Palestinian Museum in Birzeit on Thursday from 4pm to 9pm, and at the Terra Sancta Pastoral Centre in Beit Hanina, Jerusalem, on Friday during the same hours.Palestinian Sliman Mansour at his Ramallah studio. Photo: William ParryShow caption: Palestinian Sliman Mansour at his Ramallah studio. Photo: Wi…The announcement was made by Mansour’s family on his verified Instagram account shortly after a post saying he was in critical condition. No cause of death has been disclosed.“The final chapter has been written,” the family said. “With hearts heavy beyond words, we share that our beloved father has passed away.“To the world, he leaves behind a life filled with beauty, memory, and a legacy that will continue to live through all those he touched. But to us, we lost a father, our source of love, strength and home.”Sliman Mansour was celebrated as a 'Giant of Arab and Palestinian art' whose work portrayed the struggles for Palestinian identity. Photo: Zawyeh GalleryShow caption: Sliman Mansour was celebrated as a 'Giant of Arab and Palest…Born in Birzeit, near Ramallah, in 1947, Mansour was at the forefront of Palestinian art for more than five decades. His work helped to shape a visual language for Palestinian identity, drawing repeatedly on the land and the experiences of displacement and occupation.Mansour graduated from the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem in 1970. He found his subjects in the landscape and daily life around him. Olive trees and traditional embroidery recur throughout his paintings, while Jerusalem appears as both a place and an object of longing.