Al Qaysariyya Market

​

​

Located in a neighborhood adjacent to the stairs south wall of the mosque, the great age and build the market back to the Mamluk era and consists of a street covered with a vault and tapered on both sides of the street covered with small shops Boaqbih intersecting called qaysariyya market or the gold market relative to the gold trade.

​

The Gold Market is all that remains of what was once a large covered souq filled with tradesman specializing in different areas. The market was originally constructed in 1476AD, during the late Mamluk period, by the Sheikh Shams Al Din Al Himsi. Much of the larger market was destroyed by British bombardment during the First World War, but the Gold Market remains. Small shops line both sides of the street, which is covered with a vaulted roof.

The Market is still a very popular place to deal in gold and currency, and has been for centuries. Many engaged couples still come here to pick out gold jewelry from the many shops. The market sits along the southern wall of the Al Omari Mosque and runs the length of about 60 meters.

​

​

The Great-Alomari Mousqe of Gaza

Al Omari Mosque or ‘The Great Mosque’ is located at the center of the old town in Al Darraj District in Gaza City. It is one of the largest, with an area of 4100 meters, and one of the most important archaeological Mosques in Gaza. Now, the Mosque holds the name of the Caliph Omar Bin Al Khattab, known as the liberator of Palestine, but the site has undergone many transformations and was originally built upon 3000 years ago, at a time when the people of Gaza still worshipped idols.

There are multiple stories about the earliest history of the sight. One local tradition states that the site was originally a temple to the god Dagon, and it as here that Samson pulled down the temple on top of the Philistines and himself. Some claim that the Samson is still buried under the site of the Mosque. Another belief is that it was originally a temple of the god Marnas, known as Jupiter during Roman times. At the time, the people of Gaza believed in the multiplicity of gods and regarded Marnas as the head of the gods of the city.

By 407AD, most of the people of Gaza had converted to Christianity, and the temple was converted into a Byzantine church called the Church of Alfdokisia, referring to the wife of emperor Orkadyos. The Church was constructed by the architect Rufinos, under order of the Empress Ovdhaxia. To do the job, she brought forty-two Karsteian columns (from the Greek city of Karystos). This number of columns is only found at the site of the Al Omari Mosque.

After the Islamic conquest of the area, Palestine was liberated by the Muslim leader Umar ibn al-Aas, and most of its people converted to Islam, including the majority of people in Gaza. It was then the Al-Omari Mosque was built on the ruins of the Byzantine church, and named after Caliph Omar Bin Al Khattab. After this period the site underwent many conversions. During the Crusader period Mosque was replaced with the Norman-style cathedral of St. John the Baptist.  The church was later incorporated in the Ayyubid and Mamluk mosque that would next occupy the site.  This mosque was later destroyed by the Mongols in 1260AD, but was rebuilt, only to fall again after an earthquake in the late 13th century. After the earthquake, the Mosque was again repaired, but didn’t undergo restoration to its present-day form until the Ottomans took control in the 16th century.

The current architecture of the Al Omari Mosque preserves parts of its turbulent history and its many incarnations. Each restoration of the site has preserved some parts of its previous forms. This can be seen in the façade, which features typical Crusader style arches. Two of the three main aisles of the Mosque are also believed to retain some parts of the previous Crusader cathedral. The impressive minaret of the Mosque is made in the traditional Mamluk style, with an octagonal tower sat on a square base. Inside the Mosque, the floors are made of glazed tiles and the doorways and domes of marble.

Hisham's Palace stone window

Hisham's Palace at Khirbat Al Mafjar (the ruins of Mafjar) is an Umayyad structure that is listed among the last of the surviving antiquities of Romans and Byzantines. It was built by Walid Ibn Yazid in 734 CE near Jericho in the Jordan Valley during the reign of Caliph Hisham Ibn Abdelmalik between 724-743 CE. This palace is among the last of the very sophisticated desert palaces in the region and is renowned for its elaborate mosaics, stucco carvings and overall sculptural magnificence. It is famous for the decorations that represent illustrations belonging to early Islamic classical art. It was built mostly from sandstone and baked brick.

​

​

HISHAM'S PALACE IS A LARGE COMPLEX MEASURING ABOUT 265 M & IT INCLUDES THREE MAJOR AREAS CONSISTING OF A TWO-STORIED PALACE, A MOSQUE ACCOMPANIED BY A SMALL COURTYARD & A BATH.

​

​

Khirbat Al Mafjar contributes to our general understanding of early Muslim architecture. There is a genetic connection between a specific architectural feature of Khirbat Al Mafjar and of the buildings that came earlier, which can be inferred from the porches of the secular structures. The monumental projecting porch does not occur in mosque architecture until the Great Mosque of Mahdia, built about 916 CE and have long since disappeared. However, the porches at Khirbat Al Mafjar suggest that they must have existed earlier. 

​

​

​

Tell Umm El-'Amr (Saint Hilarion Monastery)

​

Located on coastal dunes 10 kilometers south of Gaza City, the archaeological remains of Tell Umm el-‘Amr span more than four centuries, from the late Roman Empire to the Umayyad period. Characterized by five successive churches, bath and sanctuary complexes, geometric mosaics, and an expansive crypt, this Christian monastery was one of the largest in the Middle East. The earliest building, dating to the fourth century, is attributed to Saint Hilarion, a native of the Gaza region and the father of Palestinian monasticism. Abandoned after a seventh-century earthquake and uncovered by local archaeologists in 1999, the site stands amidst olive groves and dwellings of the adjacent town. As the only archaeological site accessible to the public in Gaza, Tell Umm el-'Amr is an enduring and treasured vestige in an area torn by conflict. Emergency protective measures were implemented in 2010, and local authorities are now interested in advancing the long-term preservation of the site and developing tourism infrastructure to encourage visitation, engage the community, and enhance the local economy.

In 638AD, after the Muslim conquest, St. Hilarion’s Monastery ceased to function. By the 8th century, the Umayyads had converted all of the buildings of the complex. It is believed that the hammam was added during this period. After a devastating earthquake, the site was abandoned and used as a stone quarry by the residents of the neighboring villages.

The site is currently undergoing archaeological excavation, which has unearthed many artifacts from its long history.

I wan Participate in the World Heritage Volunteers Campaign "The International Campaign "SURVIVE HILARION", together to Protect Tel Umm Amer Archaeological site ". Framework of the world heritage volunteers Initiative (WHV) 2016, in collaboration with coordinating committee for the international Voluntary service (CCIVS).  

This Project was on: 17-26 April  2016

By: UNESCO & IWAN