Hawzah News Agency- The manuscript once belonged to the Great Omari Mosque, one of Gaza’s oldest and most revered landmarks, located in the heart of Gaza City’s old quarter.
Covering 4,100 square meters, with an additional 1,190-square-meter courtyard, the mosque was a cornerstone of Gaza’s religious and cultural life—until it was flattened during the Israeli war on the Strip.
Today, a restoration team from Gaza’s Ministry of Religious Endowments is painstakingly recovering historical manuscripts, rare books, and archival documents—some nearly 700 years old—from the rubble.
“The collection spans diverse fields, from astrology to literature, and is adorned with exquisite calligraphy'', Mrs. Al-Amassi told ABC.
Working with limited resources but unwavering determination, she is leading the effort to salvage whatever fragments remain.
“These manuscripts embody the historical memory and cultural heritage meant for future generations'', she said. “Gaza is one of the oldest cities in Palestine, a crossroads where countless civilizations have left their mark''.
The Omari Mosque had endured repeated damage in previous rounds of Israeli bombardment long before the current war.
But the latest attacks destroyed the historic site completely, leaving behind only scattered stones—and memories.
Following the ceasefire that went into effect in Gaza in October, Mrs. Al-Amassi and her team launched a recovery operation to retrieve the manuscripts buried beneath collapsed stone and steel.
They managed to recover 123 of the 228 manuscripts, along with 78 loose pages.
Of the items retrieved, 36 were found to be remarkably well-preserved.
Most of the works date back to the Mamluk and Ottoman eras, spanning five to seven centuries.
Once recovered, the team immediately began the preservation process—carefully removing mold, stabilizing fragile paper, and restoring what could be saved to its pre-war condition.
“Many of these works bear clear scars of destruction—damage from humidity, fungus, tearing, and even marks from direct missile strikes'', Mrs. Al-Amassi explained.
According to the Ministry of Religious Endowments, 1,109 of Gaza’s 1,244 mosques were either destroyed or severely damaged during the war—an unprecedented cultural and religious loss for the territory.
Source: Karbala Now Agency
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