GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) – The grand, 500-year-old brick walls of the al-Kamalaia School slowly emerged from years of accumulated waste as grassroots protectors began the long process of restoring it to its former glory.
Located in the heart of Gaza City’s old quarter, the Mamluk-era building is one of an ever-diminishing number of historic buildings at risk of demolition.
“It was in a very difficult, dire state. It was a mess, ”said Abdullah al-Ruzzi, an artist and leading volunteer.
Al-Ruzzi and other artists launched the Mobaderoon, or Initiators, program to save abandoned houses and buildings from two periods of Gaza’s history: the Mamluk Sultanate and the subsequent Ottoman Empire.
In the old part of the Palestinian enclave, according to tourist officials, fewer than 200 houses from these eras are fully or partially standing. They are threatened by neglect, decay or even demolition due to new urban development.
“Lack of public awareness and owners’ economic considerations are the biggest threat to these buildings,” said Ahmed al-Astal, director of Iwan, the history and heritage institute of the Islamic University of Gaza. “These houses are our identity, but ignorance leads to their destruction.”
Since the Gaza Strip is small, with 2 million people living in just 300 square kilometers (115 square miles), experts and volunteers fear that structures from centuries past will disappear, as will those of much older civilizations.
Population growth, conflict with Israel and mismanagement by Hamas, the militant group that has led Gaza since 2007, have helped erase many signs of Gaza’s five millennia of history. Its territory has been enriched by its prime location along the route connecting ancient Egypt, the Levant and Mesopotamia. For example, Hamas bulldozers destroyed large areas of a rare 4500-year-old Bronze Age settlement to make way for a housing project.
Mobaderoon is one of the few organizations that wants to preserve ancient sites in Gaza City. But their efforts are generally limited in scope and lack systematic plans.
It took the team two weeks to dispose of the waste from the al-Kamalaia school, which is named after a Mamluk sultan. Every day young men and women gather there, sweeping the dusty floor, brushing the bricks and supporting timber-framed windows.
Once the renovation is complete, al-Ruzzi says the goal is to convert the building into a venue for cultural and artistic activities, as such facilities are few in Gaza.
“This is the only school that still retains its architectural status, there are still classrooms. It is clear that until recently this school was used in the teaching and memorization of the Quran, because it is located in the old city, ”said Jamal Abu Rida, director of the archaeological department of Gaza’s Ministry of Tourism.
Residents of Gaza have been preoccupied with financial woes, grappling with a 13-year Israeli-Egyptian blockade, and fighting a furious coronavirus outbreak that has overwhelmed the health system. Campaigns to protect heritage and archaeological sites are not a top priority, 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, another team is renovating a house, the Ghussein Palace, named after the family who have owned it for 200 years. The workers scraped the stones to remove layers of dust that hid their features. Others took measurements for the door frames.
Work on this house began in August and is expected to be completed in January. “It has stood for a long time and has many cracks and problems,” said Nashwa Ramlawi, the architect who led the restoration. “The place has a great heritage and cultural value. We will dedicate it to all that serves the community; a cultural, service or social center that is accessible to everyone. “