Reviving Gaza's Cultural Legacy: A Post-War Restoration Effort

Thu Dec 04 2025 22:45:08 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In the wake of destruction, Palestinians are working tirelessly to restore Gaza's cherished historical landmarks and manuscripts, revealing the resilience of a culture deeply connected to its heritage.

Dozens of Palestinian workers have begun recovery and restoration efforts at the war-damaged Great Omari Mosque and other historical sites in Gaza. Despite significant resource shortages and the destruction wrought during the conflict, conservationists are determined to salvage ancient manuscripts and artifacts. The work, aided by international organizations, showcases the enduring efforts to preserve Gaza's rich cultural legacy amidst the ongoing challenges.

With pickaxes and wheelbarrows, dozens of Palestinian workers in hard hats and high-visibility vests are clearing rubble from the ruins of the Gaza Strip's oldest and largest mosque. The broken stump of the distinctive octagonal minaret of the medieval Great Omari Mosque and a few external walls are all that remain after it was targeted by the Israeli military during two years of war against Hamas.

Since the US-brokered ceasefire began almost eight weeks ago, work has started to clear and classify the stones, yet actual restoration cannot commence as Israel blocks building supplies into Gaza, citing adherence to the truce agreement.

'The challenges we face are first of all scarcity of resources - iron and construction materials,' says Hosni al-Mazloum, an engineer from the Palestinian heritage organization Riwaq. 'Then we're using primitive tools... and being very careful because the stones here are 1,200 or 1,300 years old.'

In a cramped office in Gaza City, conservationist Hanin al-Amsi is also engaging in formidable recovery efforts, focusing on fragments of rare ancient Islamic manuscripts from the Great Omari Mosque's 13th Century library. 'Similar to how we perform first aid for people, we are doing it for the manuscripts,' she explains via video link. A previous ceasefire enabled Ms. Amsi to lead a team in recovering manuscripts, but a treasure trove of early Islamic works remains trapped under the destroyed building.

Unesco has verified damage to 145 religious, historic, and cultural sites in Gaza during the ongoing conflict, but remarkable efforts have seen 148 out of 228 manuscripts survive, largely due to preservation efforts prior to the war. Despite the catastrophic context, restoration initiatives bring a flicker of hope in an uncertain future.

As recovery progresses, local cultural organizations, backed by international NGOs, are working to reclaim the identity and memory of the Palestinian people through their historic structures. This underlines the resilience of Gaza's cultural heritage amidst devastation, sparking a sense of hope in a community seeking to rebuild its past.