History Gaza City

1 history

1.1 bronze age
1.2 ancient period
1.3 roman empire
1.4 islamic era
1.5 ottoman rule
1.6 modern era

1.6.1 palestinian control

history

gaza s history of habitation dates 5,000 years, making 1 of oldest cities in world. located on mediterranean coastal route between north africa , levant, of history served key entrepôt of southern palestine , important stopover on spice trade route traversing red sea.

bronze age

settlement in region of gaza dates tell es-sakan, ancient egyptian fortress built in canaanite territory south of present-day gaza. site went decline throughout bronze age ii trade egypt sharply decreased. urban center known tell al-ajjul began grow along wadi ghazza riverbed. during middle bronze age, revived tell es-sakan became southernmost locality in palestine, serving fort. in 1650 bce, when canaanite hyksos occupied egypt, second city developed on ruins of first tell as-sakan. however, abandoned 14th century bce, @ end of bronze age.

ancient period

gaza later served egypt’s administrative capital in canaan. during reign of tuthmosis iii, city became stop on syrian-egyptian caravan route , mentioned in amarna letters azzati . gaza remained under egyptian control 350 years until conquered philistines in 12th century bc, becoming part of pentapolis . according book of judges, gaza place samson imprisoned philistines , met death.

after being ruled israelites, assyrians, , egyptians, gaza achieved relative independence , prosperity under persian empire. alexander great besieged gaza, last city resist conquest on path egypt, 5 months before capturing 332 bce; inhabitants either killed or taken captive. alexander brought in local bedouins populate gaza , organized city polis (or city-state ). greek culture consequently took root , gaza earned reputation flourishing center of hellenic learning , philosophy. during third war of diadochi, ptolemy soter defeated demetrius of macedon in battle near gaza in 312 bce. in 277 bce, following ptolemy ii s successful campaign against nabataeans ptolemaic fortress of gaza took control of spice trade gerrha , southern arabian.

gaza experienced siege in 96 bce hasmonean king alexander jannaeus utterly overthrew city, killing 500 senators had fled temple of apollo safety. josephus notes gaza resettled under rule of herod antipas, cultivated friendly relations gazans, ascalonites , neighboring arabs after being appointed governor of idumea jannaeus. rebuilt after incorporated roman empire in 63 bce under command of pompey magnus, gaza became part of roman province of judaea. targeted jewish forces during rebellion against roman rule in 66 , partially destroyed. nevertheless remained important city, more after destruction of jerusalem.

roman empire

throughout roman period, gaza prosperous city , received grants , attention several emperors. 500-member senate governed gaza, , diverse variety of greeks, romans, phoenicians, jews, egyptians, persians, , bedouin populated city. gaza s mint issued coins adorned busts of gods , emperors. during visit in 130 ce, emperor hadrian inaugurated wrestling, boxing, , oratorical competitions in gaza s new stadium, became known alexandria damascus. city adorned many pagan temples; main cult being of marnas. other temples dedicated zeus, helios, aphrodite, apollo, athena , local tyche. christianity began spread throughout gaza in 250 ce, including in port of maiuma. large synagogue existed in gaza in 6th century, according excavations. , christian bishopric established @ gaza.conversion christianity in gaza accelerated under saint porphyrius between 396 , 420. in 402, theodosius ii ordered 8 of city s pagan temples destroyed, , 4 years later empress aelia eudocia commissioned construction of church atop ruins of temple of marnas. during era christian philosopher aeneas of gaza called gaza, hometown, athens of asia. following division of roman empire in 3rd century ce, gaza remained under control of eastern roman empire in turn became byzantine empire. city prospered , important center southern palestine.

islamic era

in 634 ce gaza besieged rashidun army under general amr ibn al- following battle of ajnadayn between byzantine empire , rashidun caliphate in central palestine. captured amr s forces 3 years later. believed site muhammad s great grandfather hashim ibn abd manaf buried, gaza not destroyed , inhabitants not attacked amr s army despite city s stiff , lengthy resistance, although byzantine garrison massacred. arrival of muslim arabs brought significant changes gaza; @ first of churches transformed mosques, including present great mosque of gaza (the oldest in city), later rebuilt sultan baibars, endowed huge manuscript library containing on 20,000 manuscripts in 13th century, large segment of population swiftly adopted islam, arabic became official language. in 767 muhammad ibn idris ash-shafi born in gaza , lived childhood there; founded shafi religious code, 1 of 4 major sunni muslim schools of law (fiqh). security, well-maintained during muslim rule, key gaza s prosperity. although alcohol banned in islam, jewish , christian communities allowed maintain wine production, , grapes, major cash crop of city, exported egypt.

because bordered desert, gaza vulnerable warring nomadic groups. in 796 destroyed during civil war between arab tribes of area. however, 10th century, city had been rebuilt abbasids; during abbasid rule, jerusalemite geographer al-muqaddasi described gaza large town lying on highroad egypt on border of desert. in 977, fatimids established agreement rivals, seljuk turks, whereby fatimids control gaza , land south of it, including egypt , seljuks controlled region north of city.

the crusaders conquered gaza in 1100 , king baldwin iii built castle in city knights templar in 1149. had great mosque converted cathedral of saint john. in 1154, arab traveller al-idrisi wrote gaza today populous , in hands of crusaders. in 1187 ayyubids, led sultan saladin, captured gaza , later destroyed city s fortifications in 1191. richard lionheart apparently refortified city in 1192, walls dismantled again result of treaty of ramla agreed upon months later in 1193. ayyubid rule ended in 1260, after mongols under hulagu khan destroyed gaza, became southernmost conquest.

following gaza s destruction mongols, muslim slave-soldiers based in egypt known mamluks began administer area. in 1277, mamluks made gaza capital of province bore name, mamlakat ghazzah (governorship of gaza). district extended along coastal plain of palestine rafah in south north of caesarea, , east far samarian highlands , hebron hills. other major towns in province included qaqun, ludd, , ramla. gaza, entered period of tranquility under mamluks, used them outpost in offensives against crusaders ended in 1290. in 1294 earthquake devastated gaza, , 5 years later mongols again destroyed had been restored mamluks. syrian geographer al-dimashqi described gaza in 1300 city rich in trees looks cloth of brocade spread out upon land. under governorship of emir sanjar al-jawli, gaza transformed flourishing city , of mamluk-era architecture dates reign between 1311–1320 , again in 1342. in 1348 bubonic plague spread city, killing majority of inhabitants , in 1352, gaza suffered destructive flood, rare in arid part of palestine. however, when arab traveler , writer ibn batutta visited city in 1355, noted large , populous, , has many mosques.

the mamluks contributed gazan architecture building mosques, islamic colleges, hospitals, caravansaries, , public baths. allowed jews return city, after being expelled crusaders, , jewish community prospered during mamluk rule. towards end of mamluk period, jewish community in gaza third largest in palestine, after communities in safad , jerusalem. in 1481, italian jewish traveller meshulam of volterra wrote:

gazza called moslems gaza. fine , renowned place, , fruits renowned , good. bread , wine found there, jews make wine. gaza has circumference of 4 miles , no walls. 6 miles sea , situated in valley , on hill. has population numerous sands of sea, , there fifty (sixty) jewish householders, artisans. have small pretty synagogue, , vineyards , fields , houses. had begun make new wine. ... jews live @ top of hill. may god exalt them. there 4 samaritan householders live on hillside.

ottoman rule

muslims studying qur gaza in background, painting harry fenn



painting of gaza david roberts, 1839

in 1516 gaza—at time, small town inactive port, ruined buildings , reduced trade—was incorporated ottoman empire. ottoman army , efficiently crushed small-scale uprising, , local population welcomed them fellow sunni muslims. city made capital of sanjak gaza, part of larger province of damascus. ridwan family, named after governor ridwan pasha, first dynasty govern gaza , continue rule city on century. under ahmad ibn ridwan, city became cultural , religious center result of partnership between governor , prominent islamic jurist khayr al-din al-ramli, based in nearby town of al-ramla.

during rule of husayn pasha, strife between settled population , nearby bedouin tribes dramatically reduced, allowing gaza peacefully prosper. ridwan period described golden age gaza, time when served virtual capital of palestine. great mosque restored, , 6 other mosques constructed, while turkish baths , market stalls proliferated. after death of musa pasha, husayn s successor, ottoman officials appointed govern in place of ridwans. ridwan period gaza s last golden age during ottoman rule. after family removed office, city gradually declined.

starting in 19th century, gaza culturally dominated neighboring egypt; muhammad ali of egypt conquered gaza in 1832. american scholar edward robinson visited city in 1838, describing thickly populated town larger jerusalem, old city lying upon hilltop, while suburbs laid on nearby plain. city benefited trade , commerce because of strategic position on caravan route between egypt , northern syria producing soap , cotton trade government, local arab tribes, , bedouin of wadi arabah , ma an. bazaars of gaza well-supplied , noted robinson far better of jerusalem. robinson noted virtually of gaza s vestiges of ancient history , antiquity had disappeared due constant conflict , occupation. mid-19th century, gaza s port eclipsed ports of jaffa , haifa, retained fishing fleet.

the bubonic plague struck gaza again in 1839 , city, lacking political , economic stability, went state of stagnation. in 1840 egyptian , ottoman troops battled outside of gaza. ottomans won control of territory, ending egyptian rule on palestine. however, battles brought more death , destruction in gaza whilst city still recovering effects of plague.

modern era

gaza after surrender british forces, 1918

while leading allied forces during world war i, british won control of city during third battle of gaza in 1917. after war, gaza included in mandatory palestine. in 1930s , 1940s, gaza underwent major expansion. new neighborhoods built along coast , southern , eastern plains. international organizations , missionary groups funded of construction. in 1947 united nations partition plan, gaza assigned part of arab state in palestine occupied egypt following 1948 arab–israeli war. gaza s growing population augmented influx of refugees fleeing nearby cities, towns , villages captured israel. in 1957, egyptian president gamal abdel nasser made number of reforms in gaza, included expanding educational opportunities , civil services, providing housing, , establishing local security forces.

gaza occupied israel during 1967 six-day war following defeat of egyptian army. frequent conflicts have erupted between palestinians , israeli authorities in city since 1970s. tensions led first intifada in 1987. gaza center of confrontation during uprising, , economic conditions in city worsened.

palestinian control

in september 1993, leaders of israel , palestine liberation organization (plo) signed oslo accords. agreement called palestinian administration of gaza strip , west bank town of jericho, implemented in may 1994. israeli forces withdrew gaza, leaving new palestinian national authority (pna) administer , police city. pna, led yasser arafat, chose gaza first provincial headquarters. newly established palestinian national council held inaugural session in gaza in march 1996.

residents in gaza neighborhood during 2008–09 gaza war

in 2005, israel withdrew troops gaza strip , removed thousands of israelis had settled in territory. see israel s unilateral disengagement plan of 2004. since israeli withdrawal, hamas has been engaged in violent power struggle rival palestinian organization fatah. on january 25, 2006, hamas won surprise victory in elections palestinian legislative council, legislature of palestinian national authority. in 2007, hamas overthrew fatah forces in gaza strip , hamas members dismissed pna government in west bank in response. currently, hamas, recognized terror organization western countries, has de facto control of city , strip.

in march 2008, coalition of human rights groups charged israeli blockade of city had caused humanitarian situation in gaza have reached worst point since israel occupied territory in 1967 six-day war, , israeli air strikes targeting militants in densely populated areas have killed bystanders well. in 2008, israel commenced assault against gaza. israel stated strikes in response repetitive rocket , mortar attacks gaza strip israel since 2005, while palestinians stated responding israel s military incursions , blockade of gaza strip. in january 2009, @ least 1,300 palestinians killed in conflict.

in november 2012, after week of conflict between israel , palestinian militant groups, ceasefire brokered egypt announced on november 21. un ocha says 2,205 palestinians (including @ least 1,483 civilians) , 71 israelis (including 66 soldiers) , 1 foreign national in israel killed in 2014 israel–gaza conflict. according analysis new york times, men ages 20–29, militants, overrepresented in death toll.