All that remains of the Al-Omari Mosque – Gaza's first and built in the 7th century – are a few sections of wall and the minaret. The building, built on the foundations of a Philistine temple, then a Byzantine church, was largely destroyed by an Israeli bombardment on December 8. Its library, built next to it and housing rare manuscripts dating back to the 14th century, suffered the same fate. The same goes for the Pasha's Palace, which became a museum in 2010. It was built in Gaza on the orders of the Mamluk sultan Baybars in the 13th century, and Napoleon is said to have stayed there. It, too, was partly destroyed by Israeli bombs. In Gaza City's upscale Rimal neighborhood, the Rashad-Shawa Cultural Center – a rare example of Brutalist architecture in Palestine dating from the 1980s – was pulverized.
Whether it includes Greek cemeteries, Egyptian relics, Ottoman markets or Bauhaus buildings, "Gaza's heritage is really very important and, unfortunately, it hasn't received the attention it deserved in the past," said Raymond Bondin, a Maltese expert on world heritage, who is in charge of the conservation and management plan for the site of the Saint Hilarion Monastery in the Gaza Strip.
In the enclave, these relics and historic living spaces bear witness to the rich history of this territory, once a crossroads between two continents and an important Mediterranean port. They have been permanently devastated since the start of the Israeli offensive, which was launched after October 7, 2023, and has killed more than 27,000 Palestinians. According to a report by ICOMOS, an NGO dedicated to the conservation of historic sites and monuments worldwide, over 200 of the 350 sites listed in Gaza have been partially or completely destroyed.
The ancient Greek port of Anthedon – the first in the enclave, north of Gaza City and which was on a tentative list for possible United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage classification – has been "almost completely destroyed," Bondin said sadly.
Added to this are all the archaeological relics buried beneath the dense urban fabric of Gaza. "The Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities calculated that there were 100 important sites [still to be discovered]. There are probably more. Not to mention the many houses from the Islamic and Ottoman periods in Gaza City, some of these were really very beautiful, and have been destroyed," the expert added. He believes that, unlike in Libya, where he has worked, the destruction in Gaza also affects major historical sites.
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