Gaza Ministry of Tourism issues guide of archaeological sites Gaza – Mohammed Habib The Ministry of Tourism of the dissolved Palestinian government in Gaza issued an archaeological guide marking all the sites in Gaza called “Gaza bawabat al-Sham” (Gaza, gate to Cham). Dr Muhammad Khellah, Assistant Deputy of the Ministry said the issued guide is the first of a kind, which is dedicated to archaeological sites in Gaza Strip. He said the guide includes detailed explanations of all the archaeological sites and buildings spread in the Strip which reaches 39 sites between mosques, churches, palaces, and houses in addition to many others.
Khellah said that preparing the guide took more than two years, and was done by a group of specialists from the ministry. They collected and revised all the data and information related to the sites, in addition to field visits and analysing all the data collected to help interpret some historical events witnessed by these sites.
According to Khellah, the idea of the guide came out when lack of awareness of the citizen about these sites and their historical and cultural importance was discovered, and that these places show the Palestinian civilization and origins since thousands of years.
He said that the new book will participate a lot in spreading the awareness and knowledge about the history and civilization of the Palestinian people through introducing the history of these sites and the civilizations it witnessed.
The guide is a documented reference to everything related to archaeology in Gaza which could help students and researchers, as well as persons interested about the archaeological sector. He added that it is considered a great accomplishment that is also evidence on the Palestinians’ right in its land for thousands of years, at a time where the occupation is faking that truth through its different plans.
Khellah said the ministry will distribute the guide widely so it includes all the governmental and nongovernmental organisations and the civil society organisations in addition to educational institutions like universities and schools as well as cultural centres.
It till also be given to influential figures in the community who are interested in archaeology and to foreign delegations visiting Gaza Strip.
He also added that the guide will be translated into English language in the next period so it could be wider spread to include local and foreign figures.
The last few years has seen a notable development in tourism and archaeology sectors. The ministry has already repaired many sites which were neglected, the most important of them Saint Hilarion monastery from 329 AD, Khan of the Emir Yunis known as Barquq castle, the Byzantine church and al-Pasha Palace
Khellah added that the ministry did a great effort to maintain the archaeological pieces and discoveries, and started a project that foresees the registration and documentation of all the discovered archaeological pieces in an electronic record with the photographs showing the piece and its date.
He went through the details of the excavation project in archaeological Tel Rafah which is one of the biggest done by the ministry, and now on its third stage. He added that the site is one of the most important archaeological hills in Palestine and it’s full of archaeological pieces that date thousands of years back in history.
The most important of these discovered pieces are things like pottery jars and dishes, mosaics, several coins as well as historical columns and walls that date back to the Canaan era.
Khellah indicated some of the most important site in Gaza which vary between mosques like al-Amry Large Mosque, al-Sayyed Hashim Mosque, Kateb al-Welaya Mosque and others, and monasteries and churches like Saint Hilarion Monastery, Byzantine Church in Jabalya, Saint Perfirius Church as well as other sites like Tel al-Agol, Tel al-Skan, and al-Balakhya. He added that Gaza Strip is full of houses, archaeological structures and old Khans like Khan of the Emir Yunis al-Nuruzi and Castle of Sultan Barquq.