Palestinians race to save Gaza's cultural heritage

As the conflict in Gaza continues, a different race is unfolding away from the front lines.

Palestinian engineers, archeologists and volunteers are working to preserve what remains of Gaza's centuries-old cultural heritage before more of it is lost.

Across Gaza City's Old City, some of the enclave's most significant historic landmarks have been heavily damaged during Israeli military operations.

Among them are Saint Porphyrius Church, one of the world's oldest churches, and the Great Omari Mosque, Gaza's oldest mosque with a history spanning more than 1,400 years.

Entire historic neighborhoods surrounding these landmarks have also suffered extensive destruction.

According to UNESCO, 164 cultural heritage sites across Gaza have been damaged since October 2023, including religious sites, historic buildings, archeological sites, museums and cultural property storage facilities.

Palestinian heritage officials say the destruction has affected some of Gaza's most important cultural landmarks.

"The occupation deliberately targeted Gaza's cultural heritage by destroying some of the most important historical sites in the Old City, including the Great Omari Mosque, Qasr Al-Basha and Hammam Al-Sammara," said Hamouda Al-Dahdar, Director of Archeological Sites at Gaza's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

With large-scale reconstruction still out of reach, preservation has become the immediate priority.

Engineers from the Palestinian organization Riwaq are documenting damage, stabilizing weakened structures and carefully collecting original stones in the hope they can one day be used to restore historic buildings.

"We are trying to stabilize the current condition of these historic buildings using whatever materials are available locally, despite severe shortages," said engineer Hosni Al-Mazloum from Riwaq's restoration team.

"Our goal is to prevent further collapses and additional damage so these structures can survive."

The effort extends beyond damaged buildings. Volunteers from the local Oyoun for Heritage Foundation are also working to rescue rare books and historic manuscripts, some dating back more than 700 years.

"We are trying to rescue everything that can still be saved, whether it is written heritage or historic architecture," said Haneen Al-Amassi, Director of the Oyoun for Heritage Foundation in Gaza.

"We want future generations to see what their parents and grandparents built and recorded, and to preserve our authentic roots."

Despite the war, mass displacement and the humanitarian crisis, Palestinians continue leading efforts to protect what remains of their cultural heritage, preserving not only historic sites but also the identity and history of a people after museums such as Al-Qarara and Rafah, once home to thousands of rare archeological artifacts, were destroyed.