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Artists seek to save abandoned houses and buildings from Gaza’s history

Artists seek to save abandoned houses and buildings from Gaza’s history

“These houses are our identity, but ignorance leads to their destruction.”
25 Dec, 2020

The grand, 500-year-old brick walls of the al-Kamalaia School slowly emerged from years of accumulated garbage as grassroots preservers began the long process of restoring it to its former glory.

Located in the heart of the old quarter of Gaza City, the Mamluk-era building is one of an ever-dwindling number of historic structures at risk of demolition.

“It was in a very difficult, pitiful state. It was a dump,” said Abdullah al-Ruzzi, an artist and leading volunteer.

Al-Ruzzi and other artists launched the Mobaderoon, or Initiators, programme, seeking to save abandoned houses and buildings from two periods of Gaza’s history: the Mamluk Sultanate and the subsequent Ottoman Empire.

Architects and workers renovate the long-abandoned 200-year-old al-Kamalaia school, in the old quarter of Gaza City
Architects and workers renovate the long-abandoned 200-year-old al-Kamalaia school, in the old quarter of Gaza City

Neglect and decay

In the old section of the Palestinian enclave, fewer than 200 houses from these eras are partially or entirely standing, according to tourist officials. They are threatened by neglect, decay or even demolition by new urban development.

“Lack of public awareness and the economic considerations by owners are the greatest threats to these buildings,” said Ahmed al-Astal, director of Iwan, the history and heritage institute of Gaza’s Islamic University. “These houses are our identity, but ignorance leads to their destruction.”

Because the Gaza Strip is small, with 2 million people living in just 300 square kilometres, the experts and volunteers fear that structures of past centuries will disappear, like those from far more ancient civilisations.

Architects and workers renovate the long-abandoned 200-year-old al-Kamalaia school.
Architects and workers renovate the long-abandoned 200-year-old al-Kamalaia school.

Erasure of Gaza's history

Population growth, conflict with Israel and mismanagement by Hamas, the group that has run Gaza since 2007, have contributed to the erasure of many signs of Gaza’s five millennia of history. The territory has been enriched by its prime location along the route connecting ancient Egypt, the Levant and Mesopotamia.

For example, Hamas bulldozers destroyed large parts of a rare 4,500-year-old Bronze Age settlement to make way for a housing project.

Mobaderoon is one of a handful of organisations seeking to preserve ancient sites in Gaza City. But their efforts are typically limited in scope and lack systematic plans.

It took the team two weeks to remove the trash from the al-Kamalaia school, which is named after a Mamluk sultan. Each day, young men and women gather there, sweeping the dusty floor, brushing the bricks and supporting windows with wood frames.

Once the renovation is completed, al-Ruzzi says the goal is to convert the building into a venue for cultural and artistic activities because such facilities are few in Gaza.

A female artist volunteer cleans a room of the long-abandoned 200-year-old al-Kamalaia school.
A female artist volunteer cleans a room of the long-abandoned 200-year-old al-Kamalaia school.

“This is the only school that still maintains its architectural standing, it still has classrooms. It’s clear that this school was used until a recent time in education and memorising the Holy Quran because it’s in the old city,” said Jamal Abu Rida, director of the archaeology department in Gaza’s Tourism Ministry.

Preserving cultural legacy

Residents of Gaza are preoccupied with financial woes, struggling with a 13-year-old Israeli-Egyptian blockade, and combatting a raging coronavirus outbreak that has overwhelmed the health system. Campaigns to protect heritage and archaeological sites are not top priorities, but are welcomed.

“The initiatives are very important because their goal is to preserve the cultural legacy,” said al-Astal.

A few blocks from the school, a different team is working on renovating a house, the Ghussein palace, named after the family that has owned it for 200 years. The workers scraped the bricks to remove layers of dust that hid their features. Others took measurements for the door frames.

Architects and workers renovate the long-abandoned 200-year-old Ghussein palace, in the old quarter of Gaza City.
Architects and workers renovate the long-abandoned 200-year-old Ghussein palace, in the old quarter of Gaza City.

The work began on this home in August and is scheduled to be complete in January. “It was left for a long time and has a lot of cracks and problems,” said Nashwa Ramlawi, the architect leading the restoration. “The place has a great heritage and cultural value. We will dedicate it for anything that serves the community; a cultural, service or social centre open to everyone.”


All photos by AP


Comments

Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad Dec 25, 2020 07:06pm
Well done, keep it up and hang on tough.
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Laila Dec 25, 2020 07:30pm
I love how Gaza and the rest of Palestine despite being in a state of conflict and attacks, its people have more common sense and unity than we in Pakistan. Women and me working should to shoulder to restore this ancient building. You would never see that here in Pakistan. You would however see government rating down heritage sites like they did in Lahore to accommodate the new city metro trains. You will see men. Any society that excludes half of its citizens the women cannot progress. We could learn much from the Gazans. But we don't. We re set in our cultural ways. No room for new learning apparently. Everything from outside is a threat and western of course. Anyways we'll done on restoring this beautiful building, guys and girls.
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Naeem Husain Dec 25, 2020 11:15pm
What a magnificent approach to restore Islamic culture! Hopefully this will wake up every Muslim country to help these great people of Garza City restoring School to educate younger generation about Islamic way of life with peace, prosperity, respect for all mankind.
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khalida husain Dec 26, 2020 06:10am
Great job! I wish we Pakistanis can learn from them and take care of our historical buildings.
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joe Dec 26, 2020 09:34am
If you have groups like Hamas or ,Haizbulla running the SHOW in Palestine for decades ,what do you expect to remain in Palistine except RUINS.
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Laila Dec 26, 2020 10:40pm
@khalida husain and we should also learn from them by not excluding out women from society be that in restoring old ancient buildings, attending political rallies, aiding in times of catastrophes, warfare, conflicts be that as doctors, nurses, paramedics or volunteers, journalists, letting women also be represented in religious and political settings just like Hamas also includes active women, let our women also engage in confrontations and activism just like young Palestinian girls, who don't shy away from attacking Israeli army members or speaking their mind. Their parents support and encourage such activism. These are all examples of how women are active and visible in Palestine and even broader Middleeast. No nation can progress by excluding half its population, women. We in Pakistan have yet to learn that where many of us still want to limit females roles to that of home, marriage and not as also as active members of society.
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Laila Dec 26, 2020 10:43pm
@Naeem Husain Gaza, not Garza. Muslims nations also need to worry about their own societies and restoring heir own building. We in Pakistan and those in Afghanistan have destroyed our own heritage sites with our own hands. Taliban bombing ancient buddist statues and stone work. In Pakistan we put grafitti on ancient heritage sites and tear down heritage sites and buildings to accommodate metro lines. How about we worry first about our own country and then we help others? Charity starts from in Islam.
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Steve lomas Dec 27, 2020 12:23am
@Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad welcome to the club House?
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