What historical sites in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged due to the war?
Several historical sites in Gaza have been destroyed or severely damaged, including the antique shop run by Salim Erayes, Gaza's last traditional Turkish bath (the hammam), the Omari Mosque, and Pasha's Palace. The hammam, originally run by the ancient Samaritan religion and restored in the 14th century, was leveled. The Omari Mosque, Gaza's oldest and most iconic site, was largely destroyed. Pasha's Palace, where Napoleon reportedly slept in 1799, is now completely shattered.
Why did the Israeli military target historical sites like the Omari Mosque and the hammam?
The Israeli military stated that it bombed the Omari Mosque and the hammam because militants used tunnels inside both sites. They accused Hamas of exploiting civilian buildings, including significant religious sites, for terrorist purposes.
What was the significance of the hammam in Gaza before its destruction?
The hammam, Gaza's last traditional Turkish bath, was a significant cultural and historical site. Originally run by members of the ancient Samaritan religion and restored in the 14th century, it was a place where bath attendants provided full-body oil scrubs. The colorful dome allowed pinpricks of light to stream through, creating a unique atmosphere. It was a cherished place for locals, with many fond memories associated with it.
How has the war affected Gaza's cultural heritage and historical landmarks?
The war has caused extensive damage to Gaza's cultural heritage and historical landmarks. Sites like the antique shop, the hammam, the Omari Mosque, and Pasha's Palace have been destroyed or severely damaged. These places, which withstood centuries of upheaval, are now in ruins, leading to a profound loss of cultural and historical identity for the people of Gaza.
What was the reaction of local residents to the destruction of historical sites in Gaza?
Local residents expressed shock and heartbreak over the destruction of historical sites. Ahmed Eliassi, standing in front of the ruins of the hammam, said he was stunned and didn't expect it to be leveled. Ayman Hassounat, a Gaza archaeology teacher, described the destruction as a nightmare, expressing disbelief at the extent of the damage to sites he once showed with pride.
- Destruction of historical sites in Gaza due to the war
- Contrasting images of sites before and after the conflict
- Accounts from those who knew the sites and documented the destruction
Shownotes Transcript
Support for this podcast and the following message come from Energia, where everyone can invest in the world's top renewable energy markets. Explore renewable energy projects, shop investments, and get started with as little as $100. Make your money do more at Energia.com slash NPR. Today on State of the World, a tour of Gaza's ancient sites now lost to war.
Thanks for listening to State of the World from NPR. We bring you the day's most vital international stories up close where they're happening. I'm Greg Dixon. The war between Hamas and Israel has caused immense amounts of suffering. A catastrophic number of people have been killed, injured, or displaced. In Gaza, there's been vast destruction of homes, mosques, and other buildings. And among those buildings, some historical sites are also in ruins.
NPR's Daniel Estrin visited many of Gaza's ancient landmarks before the war began. He's been finding out what's happened to them. In 2019, my colleague Abu Bakr Bashir and I went in search of Gaza's rich cultural history that's often been overlooked throughout decades of conflict. And we produced a mini travel guide to Gaza City. This is the market of Gaza. Look at these tiny carrots, grape leaves in a pile.
Hey, rabbits in a cage. Spices. And my favorite store in Gaza. Oh, hi. Come on in, come on in. Salim Erayes ran this antiques shop for more than 30 years. He'd sell little pieces of Gaza's history, vintage photos and maps, and chamsas, good luck charms. And I got you what you want.
Really? Beautiful. Then Hamas attacked Israel October 7th, the deadliest day Israelis have ever faced. And Israel began bombarding Gaza, the deadliest war Palestinians have ever faced. And since then, I haven't been able to reach the antique cellar.
I wondered what became of his shop and the other cultural and historical sites we visited back then. Journalists had been barred from entering Gaza during the war, so we contacted Omar Al-Qattah, one of the few local photojournalists who did not flee Gaza City during the war. We asked him to document what some of those landmarks look like now.
During a recent lull in fighting in Gaza City, he ventured outside to witness a shattered landscape. That's him walking among the rubble. He found that every site we toured back then is destroyed, badly damaged, or inaccessible. The antique shop is in ruins. Old film negatives are among the debris. He walked across the street to Gaza's last traditional Turkish bath, the hammam. It's been leveled.
It was originally run by members of the ancient Samaritan religion and restored in the 14th century. Bath attendants would give full-body oil scrubs. Pinpricks of light would stream through the colorful dome.
38-year-old Ahmed Eliassi was standing in front of the ruins. I have many, many memories here, he says. I'd come with my friends to bathe. Now there is no hammam. This heritage site, they destroyed it totally. We only see ashes, destruction, stones. He says, I'm honestly stunned. I didn't expect that they'd level it.
I reached Palestinian-American author Laila al-Haddad in the U.S. Her parents grew up in Gaza, and she lived there for a time as well and wrote books about Gaza. My father was a regular visitor to this hammam. He absolutely loved it. It was like his Friday ritual. It was like this historic little spa in the
center of old Gaza City. I showed her the images our photographer took of the destroyed spa, of the largely destroyed Omari Mosque, Gaza's oldest and most iconic site, which stretched back to crusader times and had blue carpeted floors and stained glass windows, places that withstood centuries of upheaval until now. To see these places of beauty and culture completely obliterated
It just seems sort of vengeful to me. Yeah, it's really heartbreaking to see all this and to think about the city that I cherish, that I'm from, that I love in complete ruins. The Israeli military told NPR it bombed the mosque and the bathhouse. It said militants used tunnels inside both sites.
The military blamed the, quote, malicious exploitation by Hamas of civilian buildings, including significant mainly religious sites, for its own terrorist purposes. I see all these pictures and really what I try, what I want to remember Gaza as is not sand and rocks. I want to remember it for how I knew it and how I hope it's going to be again one day. A place of great beauty, freshness.
A place famous for its hospitality and its innovation and its resilience. One of the sites we visited on our tour five years ago was Pasha's Palace. According to Gaza historians, Napoleon slept three nights there in 1799 during his military campaign in the region.
Our guide was Gaza archaeology teacher Ayman Hassounat. Oh, it's beautiful here. There were relics on display from Gaza's ancient past. Long ceramic jars that traveled on ships from Gaza around the Mediterranean, carrying precious liquids. Oil or wine? You seem very proud of these jars. Yes, when I see these jars, I live before 1,000 years ago. Gaza has peace.
Gaza had peace in that period. Gaza opened in that period of all the world. Now the ornate building that displayed those relics is completely shattered. The Israeli military said it could not gather information about what happened.
Five years ago, Hasuna showed us these landmarks with pride for his Gazan heritage. But since the war, he's had to flee his home, along with about 1.7 million Gazans. He hasn't seen what happened to the sites we toured. So we sent him the images our photographer took. He texted back, I am shocked by the photos. I cannot believe what has happened. It's like a nightmare. That's NPR's Daniel Estrin.
You can see some of the photos he referenced and find all of our coverage of this conflict at npr.org slash MideastUpdates. And that's the state of the world from NPR. Thanks for listening. See you again soon. This message comes from NPR sponsor, SADVA. Founder and CEO Ron Rudson shares the story of how he got started creating SADVA.
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