Gaza
Distinguish from the Spanish name Garza.Gaza (
Arabic غزة Ġazzah;
Hebrew עז" Azzah) is the largest city within the
Gaza Strip, part of the
Palestinian Territories. The city, which has a population of approximately 400,000, is frequently termed "Gaza City" in order to distinguish it from the larger
Gaza Strip.
The word's original meaning is unclear. Some authorities derive it from Hebrew
ʻAzzāh "strong"; however, the ʻ in
ʻAzzāh is original (from
proto-Semitic ʻzz), whereas the ʻ in
ʻAzza derives from original Ġ. The oldest attested records naming Gaza are ancient
Egyptian, in which it is variously transcribed as
q-ḏ-t or
g-ḏ-t, in an attempt to render the
Canaanite sounds
ġ and
z not found in the Egyptian of that period. The
Tell el-Amarna tablets call it
Qazati[
1]. 5th-century BCE
Babylonian records call it
Ḫazatu. In ancient
Greek, it was termed
"άζα. In
Hebrew, its pronunciation shifted from
*Ġazzāh to
Tiberian Hebrew ʻAzzāh around the first century CE, when the
uvular fricatives were lost under the influence of other Semitic languages such as
Aramaic. The Arabic form
Ġazzah may derive from the Greek name. The earliest surviving written attestation of the name "Ghazza" in Arabic may be the
Nessana bilingual entagion of 674 CE (54 AH), although the name is mentioned in pre-Islamic traditions. Other names: include 'Aza, Azzah, Beth-eglaim, Ghazzah, Ghazzeh,Maiumos, Pa-Canaan, tel al-'Ajjul, 'The Ruler Prize'.
Strategically located on the Mediterranean coastal route, ancient Gaza was a prosperous trade center and a stop on the caravan route between Egypt and Syria. The city was occupied by Egypt around the 15th century BCE.
Philistines settled the area several hundred years later, and Gaza became one of their
chief cities.
In 145 BCE Gaza was conquered by
Jonathan the
Hasmonean (Brother of
Judah the
Maccabee). There was a prospering Jewish presence in Gaza until the Roman ruler Gavinius expelled them in 61 CE. In the times of the
Mishnah and the
Talmud there was a large Jewish community in Gaza, and on one of the pillars of the
Great Mosque of Gaza there was a Greek inscription which read "Hananiah bar Yaakov" (a Hebrew name) with a
menorah carved above it. This sign of the building's previous role was vandalised during the
intifada. The remains of the ancient Gaza
synagogue, built around 500 CE, were found near the city wharf.
Gaza was captured by
Arabs in the 630s after a siege during which the Jewish population of the city defended it alongside the
Byzantine garrison.
[ ] Believed to be the site where the
Prophet Muhammad's great grandfather was buried, the city became an important Islamic center. In the 12th century, Gaza was taken by Christian Crusaders; it returned to Muslim control in 1187. The city fell to the
Ottomans in the 16th century and was taken by the British during World War I (1914-1918).
Following
World War I, Gaza became part of the British mandate for Palestine. After the first Arab Israel war in 1948, Egypt took control over Gaza and its surrounding area. The Egyptians never accepted the inhabitants as citizens of Egypt and prohibited them from leaving Gaza Strip. This caused great density and poverty in the Gaza Strip. Israel captured the city and the Gaza Strip during the 1967 Six Day War, and Gaza remained under Israeli administration for the next 27 years.
With the onset of the Palestinian uprising known as the
intifada in 1987, Gaza became a center of political unrest and confrontation between
Israelis and
Palestinians, and economic conditions in the city worsened.
In September 1993, leaders of Israel and the
Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) signed the
Oslo Accords calling for Palestinian administration of the Gaza Strip and the
West Bank town of
Jericho, which was implemented in May 1994. Most of the Israeli forces left Gaza, leaving a new
Palestinian Authority to administer and police the city, along with the rest of the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Authority, led by
Yasser Arafat, chose Gaza as its first provincial headquarters. In September 1995, Israel and the PLO signed a second peace agreement extending the Palestinian Authority to some West Bank towns. The agreement also established an elected 88-member Palestinian Council, which held its inaugural session in Gaza in March 1996.
The current mayor is Mr. Sa'ed Kharma.
Jewish communities in Gaza
The Jewish community in Gaza was destroyed during the
crusades, but returned and was rebuilt with the return of the
Mamluk occupation. In February 1799, when the French forces led by Napoleon entered the city, it was struck by a terrible plague which caused the Jews to move to other areas in Palestine. By the year 1886, thirty Jewish families had returned to Gaza, but they were deported by the
Ottomans during World War I. Jews returned to Gaza after the war ended but they were forced to leave once again after the
1929 massacres. Famous Gazan Jews have included the medieval liturgical poet
Israel Najara and the
Sabbatean prophet
Nathan of Gaza.
Gaza's population is composed almost entirely of Muslim Palestinians, and also has a small Palestinian Christian community. A massive influx of
Palestinian refugees swelled Gaza's population after the
1948 Arab-Israeli war . By 1967 the population had grown to about six times its 1948 size. The city's population has continued to increase since that time, and poverty, unemployment, and poor living conditions are widespread. Gaza has serious deficiencies in housing and infrastructure, and an inadequate sewage system has contributed to serious problems of hygiene and public health.
Gaza is the economic center for a region in which citrus fruits and other crops are grown. Many Gazans work in Israeli service and industry when the border is open. The city contains some small industry, including textiles and food processing. A variety of wares are sold in Gaza's street bazaars, including carpets, pottery, wicker furniture, and cotton clothing; commercial development in the city is minimal. Gaza serves as a transportation hub for the
Gaza Strip, and contains a small port that serves a local fishing fleet.
Places of interest to the visitor are the
Great Omari Mosque, the
Mosque of Al Sayed Hashem,
the Mosque of Ibn Othman, the
Mosque of Ibn Marwan, The
Sheikh Abul Azm sanctuary, the
Sheikh Ajlin sanctuary, Tell al Mintar,
Napoleon's fort (Al Radwan Castle), and the
Church of St. Porphyrius. The city also has many new resorts where tourists and local people can swim and relax by the beach or swimming pools.
*
The Great Mosque (Al-Omari Mosque) Located in downtown Gaza, Al-Omari Mosque with its splendid minaret, reputedly occupying the site of the first ancient temple of Marnas and then a Greek Orthodox Church. The mosque was also the site of a Norman church built by the Crusaders in the 12th century.
*
Napoleon's Fort (Qasr El-Basha)Also located in downtown Gaza, this imposing stone building dates back to the Mamluk period. It is known as Qasr El-Basha because Napoleon spent a few nights here on his way through the town in 1799.
*
St. Porphyrus ChurchThis 4th century church is where St. Porphyrus died and was buried (420 CE) It is located in the Gaza's old city and still in use today by the Greek Orthodox Community.
*
Al-Sayed Hashem MosqueLocated in Al-Daraj Quarter, the mosque is one of the largest and most beautiful ancient mosques in Gaza. The tomb of Hashem bin Abd-Manaf, Mohammad's grandfather who died in Gaza during a trading voyage, is believed to be under the dome of the mosque.
Gaza shared
Yasser Arafat International Airport with the rest of the Gaza Strip. It was opened in 1998, but is currently inoperational, having been largely destroyed by Israeli armed forces during the
Al-Aqsa Intifada due to claims of weapons smuggling. Following the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in autumn 2005, discussions took place between the Palestinian and Israeli sides on its reopening. So far, Israeli negotiators have not agreed to allow the airport be reopened.
Arriving to Gaza:
*
By air:
Gaza International Airport, 40 km south of Gaza.
Ben Gurion International Airport, Tel Aviv, 75 km north of Gaza.
*
By car: Northern access:
Erez Crossing point (border with
Israel).Southern access:
Rafah crossing point (border with
Egypt).
[
2].
*
West Bank*
Palestine*
Sinai Peninsula*
Porphyry of Gaza*
Al-Azhar University - Gaza*
First Battle of Gaza*
Second Battle of Gaza*
Little Gaza*
Municipality of Gaza*
Gaza at Google Maps*
Al-Azhar University-Gaza*
The Islamic University - Gaza*
Creation of Disputed Gaza Buffer Zone December 2005
