Old City of Gaza
31°30′12″N 34°27′48″E / 31.50333°N 34.46333°E
Old City of Gaza
البلدة القديمة الغزة | |
|---|---|
Old city | |
1931 Survey of Palestine map | |
Interactive map of Old City of Gaza | |
| Country | Palestine |
| City | Gaza City |
| Established | 3000 BCE |
| Government | |
| • Control | Hamas |
The Old City of Gaza is the historical center of Gaza City, in the Gaza Strip. It consists of a heavily built up urban area with many historical buildings on a 10 - 30 metre high low-lying tell covering an area of about 100 hectares (1.0 km2). It sits at a distance of 3.5 km from the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea between two wadis: Wadi Gaza to the south, and Wadi el Hesi to the north.
For much of recorded history it has been the southernmost coastal city in the region of Palestine, occupying a strategic position on the ancient trade route the Via Maris, between Egypt and the Levant. Throughout its history, Gaza has been ruled by various empires, including the Philistines, Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Romans, and Ottomans. Following Israeli bombardment during the ongoing Gaza–Israel conflict, the Old City has been described in 2024 as "a vast field of ruins".