Gaza

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Gaza

Skyline of Gaza

Coat of arms of Gaza
Arabic غزة
Founded in 15th Century BCE
Government City (from 1993)
Also Spelled Ghazzah (officially)

Gaza City (unofficially)
Governorate Gaza
Coordinates 31°31′N 34°27′E / 31.517, 34.45Coordinates: 31°31′N 34°27′E / 31.517, 34.45
Population 409,680 (2006)
Jurisdiction 151,023 dunams (151.0 km²)
Head of Municipality Majid Abu Ramadan

Gaza (Arabic: غزة‎ transliteration: Ġazza, Hebrew: עַזָּה‎, ʕazzā) is the largest city in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian territories. The city, which has a population of approximately 410,000 in the inner city and 1.4 million people in the metropolitan area, has been inhabited since 3500BC.[1] The word "Gaza" is often used to refer to the entire Gaza Strip, so the city is frequently termed "Gaza City" for clarity.

Contents

[edit] Etymology

The name "Gaza," after Arabic Ġazza, derives from the Canaanite/Hebrew root for "strong" (ʕZZ), through the Hebrew name of that city, ʕazzā, i.e. "the strong one (f.)"; cpr. English stronghold.[2]

[edit] History

The history of Gaza, one of the oldest cities in the world, has been shaped by its strategic location. The city is located on the Mediterranean coastal route, between North Africa and the greener lands of the Levant.[3] Ancient Gaza was a prosperous trade center and a stop on the caravan route between Egypt and Syria.

[edit] Antiquity

Statue of Zeus unearthed in Gaza
Statue of Zeus unearthed in Gaza

In ancient times, Gaza was the residence of the Ancient Egyptian governor of the region, then known as Canaan.[4] In the 13th century BCE, it was conquered by the Philistines, an invading people with cultural links to the Aegean, from whom the name Palestine originated.[5][4] Gaza was part of the Philistine pentapolis; a league of the Philistine's five most important city-states. Gaza was the place where Samson was imprisoned and met his death.(Judges 16:21) The prophets Amos and Zephaniah professed that Gaza would be deserted.[6][7][8]

Tell es-Sakan, dating to 3500 BCE, is five kilometers south of today's Gaza city. [9] Around 3000 BCE, the Canaanites developed various urban centres.[1] Artifacts from Tell al-Ajjul, including pottery, alabaster and bronze works, are housed at the Rockefeller Museum in East Jerusalem.[10]

The city was invaded and captured by Thutmose III in 1484 BCE. This was the start of the ruling of the ancient Egypt. This was also the time where the name Gaza was first mentioned.[1] Around 1200 BCE the Philistines started the settlement of the coastal area.[1]

Under the rule of the Neo-Assyrians, Gaza had to pay a tribute in 734 BCE. The Neo-Assyrians were followed by the Neo-Babylonian domination.[1] The attack of Cambyses I was resisted in 529 BCE. Later the Greeks established a trading post around 520 BCE. Some hundred years later the first coins were minted on the Athens model was around 380 BCE.[1]

After the Siege of Tyre in 332 BCE, Alexander the Great besieged Gaza, the last city to resist his conquest. Gaza, led by a eunuch named Batis and defended by Arab mercenaries, withstood the siege for two months, until it was overcome by storm. The defenders, most local elements, fought to death, and the women and children were taken captive. The city was resettled by neighboring Bedouins.[11]

Ptolemy started the rule in the year 301 BCE. The Seleucids dominated by the year 198 BCE.[1] In 145 BCE Gaza was conquered by Jonathan Maccabaeus, the Hasmonean (Brother of Judah the Maccabee). The new leaders under the rule of Alexander Jannaeus brought destruction and massacres around 96 BCE. The start of the Gaza era as dated by the Pompey's calendar. As they were expelled and Judea was made a client kingdom of Rome by Pompey in 63 BCE, Gaza fell under the rule of Hyrcanus and later by Herod the Great around 30 BCE.[1]

In 6 CE, it was placed under direct Roman rule. There was a prospering Jewish presence in Gaza until the Roman ruler Gavinius expelled them in 66 CE as part of the First Jewish-Roman War leading to the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus. Hadrian visited the city in the year 130 CE.[1] Around 250 CE Christianity started to spread.[1]

In the times of the Mishnah and the Talmud there was a large Jewish community in Gaza. The remains of the ancient Gaza synagogue, built around 500 CE, were found near the city wharf.[12]

[edit] Islamic rule

Gaza was besieged and captured by 'Amr ibn al-'As a Muslim in 637 AD.[1] During the siege, the city's Jewish community fought alongside the Byzantine garrison.[13] Believed to be the site where prophet Muhammad's great grandfather — Hashem — was buried, the city became an important Islamic center in Palestine. A mosque was built to house Hashem's grave. The arrival and domination of the Abbasids started with the end of the Umayyads around 750 CE. Gaza became a center for the art of writing in the Islamic world.[1] In 767, Muhammad ibn Idris ash-Shafi'i was born in Gaza and lived his early childhood there. Al-Shafi'i founded one of the prominent fiqhs in Sunni Islam, named Shafi'i after him.[14]

Around 909 CE, the influence of the Fatimids from Egypt started to grow, leading to a slow decline of Gaza, although the important port of Maiouma was flourishing. The orange was introduced to the area arriving from India in 943 CE.[1] In 977 CE, the growing Fatimids established an agreement with the Seljuk Turks, whereby the Fatimids would control Gaza and the land south of it, including Egypt.[15]

The city was captured by Baldwin III of Jerusalem. The control was handed over to the Knights Templar in the year 1149.[1] The Ayyubids under Saladin unsuccessfully attempted to regain control of Gaza in their raid on the nearby fortress of Darum in 1170,[16] but eventually Gaza fell after the Ayyubids captured Ashkelon. Richard I of England recaptured the city from the Ayyubids in 1191. The end of this period marked the conquest of the city by the Mongol Hulagu Khan in 1260.[1] During this period, the Jewish community in Gaza was destroyed, most fleeing to Ashkelon.[16] The Jews, however, returned and their community was rebuilt with the arrival of the Mamluks.[12] Nearly two decades later, the domination of the Mamluks started in 1277. They finished the reconstruction of the Great Mosque of Gaza in 1344.[1]

[edit] Ottoman rule

Gaza was the capital of the Liwa of Gaza, which stretched from Jaffa in the north to Bayt Jibrin in the west to Rafah in the south. According to the 1557 tahrir defter the city included 2,477 male tax payers i.e. its population was about 12,000 people. These fugires exclude members of the military and religious classes. Detailed information on the cities demography and economy is provided by Cohen and Lewis Population and revenue in the towns of Palestine in the Sixteenth Century(1978).

In 1660, Gaza became the capital of Palestine, although "Palestine" did not exist as an administrative unit or vilayet during Ottoman rule of the region. The ruler at that time was Hussein Pasha. Gaza maintained close contacts with the Christian Europe. Napoleon captured the city in 1799 and this was followed by a domination of the Turks. 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. Starting in the early 1800s, Gaza was culturally dominated by neighboring Egypt; Muhammad Ali made Gaza a part of Egypt in 1832.[1] Though Gaza was recaptured by the Ottoman Empire, a large number of its residents were Egyptians (and their descendants) who had fled political turmoil.[17] The Ottomans lost it to the British in the Third Battle of Gaza on November 7, 1917 during World War I.

[edit] Twentieth century

After World War I, the League of Nations (precursor to the United Nations) granted quasi-colonial authority over former Ottoman territories to Great Britain and France. Britain had the mandate over the areas that now comprise Israel, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and Jordan.[18]

Many Jewish inhabitants of Gaza left during and after the 1929 Palestine riots. From then on, the British prohibited Jews from living there. In 1946, however, a group of Jews established Kibbutz Kfar Darom in the central Gaza Strip, named for a Jewish town that had existed there in the Talmudic period. Though the Jewish community remained distinct, many still lived amongst the Christian and Muslim communities in neighborhoods such as Rimal. However, their numbers slowly dwindled as the tensions between Jews and Arabs increased throughout Palestine, causing mutual distrust. [12]

After the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Egypt occupied Gaza and its surrounding area. The city's growing population was augmented by an influx of Arab refugees fleeing nearby cities, towns and villages that were captured by Israel. Israel captured the city and the Gaza Strip during the 1967 Six Day War, but withdrew completely under Israel's unilateral disengagement plan in 2005. With the onset of the Palestinian uprising known as the First Intifada in 1987, Gaza became a center of political unrest and confrontation between Israelis and Palestinians, and economic conditions in the city worsened.[citation needed]

[edit] Palestinian National Authority

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. The Israeli forces left Gaza, leaving a new Palestinian National Authority to administer and police the city, along with most 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 most West Bank towns. The agreement also established an elected 88-member Palestinian National Council, which held its inaugural session in Gaza in March 1996.[citation needed]

On September 12, 2005 the Israeli cabinet formally declared an end to military rule. Israel also withdrew from the Philadelphi Route, a narrow strip adjacent to the border with Egypt, after Egypt agreed to secure its side of the border. Under the Oslo Accords, the Philadelphi Route was to remain under Israeli control to prevent arms smuggling. With Egypt agreeing to patrol its side of the border, it was hoped that this objective would be achieved.[19] Hamas won a surprise victory in the Palestinian elections in early 2006. Since then, it has been engaged in a violent power struggle with Fatah. In 2007, Hamas violently overthrew Fatah forces in the Gaza Strip and its members were dismissed from the PNA government as a result. Currently, Hamas has de facto control of the area.[20] Israel has continued to bombard Gaza and nearby cities in response to Qassam rocket attacks launched by Islamic terrorist organizations, including Fatah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad, from civilian population centers in the Gaza Strip. The European Union and the United Nations have called Israel's actions "disproportionate", but also demand that Palestinian militias halt rocket attacks.[21]

A human rights coalition charged March 6, 2008 that the humanitarian situation in Gaza had reached its worst point since Israel occupied the territory in the 1967 Six-Day War.[22]

[edit] Demographics

Gold Market, Gaza City
Gold Market, Gaza City

The population of Gaza today is overwhelmingly Muslim, with a small minority of about 3,500 Christians, mostly adhering to the Greek Orthodox Church.[23] According to a 1997 census by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), Gaza and the adjacent al-Shati camp had a population of 353,115 inhabitants, of which 50.9% were males and 49.1% females. Gaza has an overwhelmingly young population with over half of which being between the age of infancy to 14 years (50.3%) and 25.7% were between the ages of 15 and 29. About 13.6% were between the ages of 30 to 44, 7.7% between ages 45 to 65 and 3.9% were over the age of 64.[24]

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. In 1997, 51.8% of Gaza's inhabitants were refugees or their descendants.[25] The city's population has continued to increase since that time to 409,680 in 2006, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.[26] The birth rate is extremely high and the vast majority of Gazans live in poverty.[27] and rely on United Nations food aid to survive.[28]

[edit] Economy

 This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2007)
Backyard industry
Backyard industry

While Gaza used to be a Palestinian economic center, this changed significantly during the second Intifada when vast plots of Gazan citrus groves were bulldozed by the Israeli military. Many Gazans worked in the Israeli service industry while the border was open, but part of Israel's 2005 unilateral disengagement plan stipulated that Gazans will no longer be able to work in Israel and very few Gazans are presently allowed to enter Israel.

Gaza city contains some minor industries, 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. According to a recent report by OXFAM, Gazan industry has been reduced to a shambles because of the ongoing economic "closure" imposed by Israel. Because they are no longer able to import materials or export goods, 95% of Gazan factories closed since the imposition of closure policies following Israel's 2005 disengagement.[29]

Gaza serves as a transportation hub for the Gaza Strip, and contains a small port that serves a local fishing fleet. Poverty, unemployment, and poor living conditions are widespread. Gaza has serious deficiencies in housing, educational facilities, health facilities, infrastructure, and an inadequate sewage system, all of which have contributed to serious hygiene and public health problems.

Gaza's economic conditions have been stagnant in the long-term and most development indicators are in decline, a situation described by Harvard economist Ssra Roy as a state of "economic de-development".[30] 75% of the population (1.1 million people) are now dependent on handouts from the World Food Programme (WFP) simply to feed their families, the largest single dependent population in the world.[31]

Beach in Gaza City
Beach in Gaza City

[edit] Landmarks and public buildings

Landmarks in Gaza include the Great Mosque of Gaza (Great Omari Mosque) [32], 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[33].

Located in downtown Gaza, Al-Omari Mosque with its splendid minaret, reputedly stands on the site of the first ancient temple of Marnas then a Greek Orthodox Church. The mosque was also the site of the Church of St. John the Baptist, a Norman church built by the Crusaders in the 12th century. On one of its pillars there used to be a Greek inscription which read "Hananiah bar Yaakov" (a Hebrew name) with a menorah carved above it.[34]

Pasha's Palace Museum in Gaza's old city
Pasha's Palace Museum in Gaza's old city
  • Napoleon's Fort (Qasr El-Basha)

Also located in downtown Gaza, this imposing stone building dates back to the Mamluk period. Napoleon is believed to have spent a few nights here on his way through the town in 1799.[citation needed]

  • St. Porphyrus Church

This 4th century church is where St. Porphyrius[33] died and was buried in 420 CE. It is located in the Gaza's old city and still in use today by the Greek Orthodox community. [35]

Located 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.

[edit] Transportation

The Yasser Arafat International Airport in Gaza opened in 1998, but its runways and facilities were largely destroyed by the Israeli armed forces during the Al-Aqsa Intifada. Following Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in September 2005, Palestinian and Israeli negotiators discussed the possibility of reopening it, but meanwhile it remains closed.

[edit] Mayors

  • Aown S. Shawa (1994-2001)
  • Alad Abdul Beensiyah (2001-2004)
  • Sa’ed Kharma (2001-2005)
  • Maged Awni Abu Ramadan (2005-)

[edit] Town twinning

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Remondino (June 5, 2007). "Gaza at the crossroads of civilisations". Exhibition: Gaza at the crossroads of civilisations (27 April to 7 October, 2007). Art and History Museum, Geneva, Switzerland. Retrieved on 2008-01-23.
  2. ^ Zev Vilnay, The Guide to Israel, Jerusalem, Hamakor, 1970, pp.298-299
  3. ^ Alan Johnston. Gaza's ancient history uncovered. BBC news
  4. ^ a b Historical Stations International Relations Unit, Municipality of Gaza.
  5. ^ Origin of the Name Palestine Palestine Facts
  6. ^ Amos 1:7
  7. ^ Zephaniah 2:4
  8. ^ Zev Vilnay, The Guide to Israel, Jerusalem, Hamakor, 1970, pp.298-299
  9. ^ Gaza Strip Cartage.
  10. ^ Nicole (?). "Gaza Tour Guide". Gaza Tour Guide. Retrieved on 2008-01-23.
  11. ^ Bury, John Bagnell.The Cambridge Ancient History. Cambridge University Press. p. 147
  12. ^ a b c "A Brief History of the Gaza Settlements". Jewish Virtual Library.
  13. ^ Stillman, Norman (1979). The Jews of Arab Lands: A History and Source Book. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America, p. 24. ISBN ISBN 1590454936. 
  14. ^ Gil, Moshe. (1992) History of Palestine, 634-1099 Cambridge University Press. p.292.
  15. ^ Gil, 1992, p.349.
  16. ^ a b Robinson, Edward (1838). Biblical researches in Palestine, 1838-52. A journal of travels in the year 1838. Ann Arbor: Crocker and Brewster, p.38. 
  17. ^ Jacob Savage (June 20, 2007). "The three-state solution", Los Angeles Times. 
  18. ^ Palestine, Israel and the Arab-Israeli Conflict: A Primer-Page 3
  19. ^ BBC NEWS | Middle East | Abbas sacks Hamas-led government
  20. ^ Abbas sacks Hamas-led government BBC News. 2007-07-15.
  21. ^ Israeli Gaza operation 'not over' BBC News. 2008-03-03.
  22. ^ Human rights coalition: Gaza at worst since 1967 CNN. 2008-03-05.
  23. ^ Militants bomb Gaza YMCA library BBC News. 2008-02-15.
  24. ^ Palestinian Population by Locality, Sex and Age Groups in Years Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS)
  25. ^ Palestinian Population by Locality and Refugee Status Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS)
  26. ^ Projected Mid -Year Population for Gaza Governorate by Locality 2004- 2006 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS)
  27. ^ FRONTLINE/WORLD . Palestinian Territories - Inside Hamas . Story Synopis and Video . PBS
  28. ^ Five militants die in Gaza strike BBC News. 2008-02-27.
  29. ^ http://www.oxfam.org.uk/resources/downloads/oxfam_gaza_lowres.pdf
  30. ^ Sara Roy, GThe Gaza Strip: A Case of Economic De-Development, 2nd edition (Institute for Palestine Studies, 1995).
  31. ^ http://www.oxfam.org.uk/resources/downloads/oxfam_gaza_lowres.pdf
  32. ^ http://www.baladna.ps/omari.htm
  33. ^ a b N.A. Weber (May 16, 2007). "St. Porphyrius". Catholic Encyclopedia. New Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 2008-01-24.
  34. ^ This column was originally part of a Byzantine-era synagogue, destroyed at an unknown date and reused (recycled) as part of the Crusader church. When the Crusaders were driven out, the church was commandeered for use as a mosque. According to a biblical resource center, some time between 1987 and 1993, a ladder or scaffolding were erected and the carving was chisled off (Shanks, Hershel. "Peace, Politics and Archaeology". Biblical Archaeology Society.).
  35. ^ http://www.baladna.ps/SPCGaza.htm
  36. ^ "Tel Aviv decides to retain contract with Gaza City as `twin city`". Haaretz. Retrieved on 2008-02-11.
  37. ^ "La Communauté Urbaine de Dunkerque a signé des accords de coopération avec:". Hôtel de ville de Dunkerque - Place Charles Valentin - 59140 Dunkerque. Retrieved on 2008-01-28.
  38. ^ Turin City Hall - International Affairs (Italian) Retrieved on 2008-01-26.
  39. ^ "Ciutats agermanades". Ajuntament de Barcelona. Retrieved on 2008-01-28.
  40. ^ "Cidades Geminadas". Câmara Municipal de Cascais. Retrieved on 2008-01-28.
  41. ^ "Vennskapsbyer". Tromsø kommune, Postmottak, Rådhuset, 9299 Tromsø. Retrieved on 2008-01-28.

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