Gaza 55387 225967088 2008-07-16T06:39:37Z Asa a1 7472741 /* External links */ {{otheruses}} {{Infobox Palestinian Authority muni |name=Gaza |image=gaza_coat.gif |caption=Coat of arms of Gaza |imgsize=90 |image3=gaza22.jpg|imgsize3=280 |caption3= Skyline of Gaza |arname=غزة |meaning= |founded=15th Century BCE |type=muna |typefrom=1993 |altOffSp=Ghazzah |altUnoSp=Gaza City |governorate=gz |population=409,680 |popyear=2006 |area=151,023 |areakm=151.0 |latd=31 |latm=31 |lats= |latNS=N |longd=34 |longm=27|longs= |longEW=E |mayor=Majid Abu Ramadan }} '''Gaza''' ({{lang-ar|غزة}} {{ArTranslit|Ġazza}}, {{lang-he|עַזָּה}}, ʕazzā) is the largest city in the [[Gaza Strip]] and the [[Palestinian territories]]. The city, which has a population of approximately 410,000 in the inner city and 1.4 million people in the metropolitan area, has been inhabited since 3000BC.<ref name="mah">{{cite web |url=http://www.ville-ge.ch/mah/expos/pdf/212/Gaza_timeline.pdf |title=Gaza at the crossroads of civilisations |accessdate=2008-01-23 |author=Remondino |date=[[June 5]], [[2007]] |work=Exhibition: Gaza at the crossroads of civilisations (27 April to 7 October, 2007)|publisher=Art and History Museum, [[Geneva]], [[Switzerland]] }}</ref> The word "Gaza" is often used to refer to the entire [[Gaza Strip]], so the city is frequently termed "'''Gaza City'''" for clarity. ==Etymology== The name "Gaza," after Arabic ''Ġazza'', derives from the Canaanite/Hebrew root for "strong" (ʕZZ), through the Hebrew name of that city, ''ʕazzā'', i.e. "the strong one (f.)"; cpr. English ''stronghold''.<ref>Zev Vilnay, ''The Guide to Israel,'' Jerusalem, Hamakor, 1970, pp.298-299</ref> ==History== The history of Gaza, one of the oldest cities in the world, has been shaped by its strategic location. The city is located on the [[Via Maris|Mediterranean coastal route]], between North Africa and the greener lands of the [[Levant]].<ref name = BBC>Alan Johnston. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4365440.stm Gaza's ancient history uncovered]. [[BBC news]]</ref> Ancient Gaza was a prosperous trade center and a stop on the caravan route between [[Egypt]] and [[Syria]]. ===Antiquity=== [[Image:4551 - Istanbul - Museo archeol. - Zeus - sec. II d.C. - da Gaza - Foto G. Dall'Orto 28-5-2006.jpg|180px|thumb|Statue of Zeus unearthed in Gaza]] In ancient times, Gaza was the residence of the [[Ancient Egypt]]ian governor of the region, then known as [[Canaan]].{{Fact|date=May 2008}} In the 13th century BCE, it was conquered by the [[Philistines]], an invading people with cultural links to the [[Aegean Sea|Aegean]], from whom the name [[Palestine]] originated.<ref>[http://www.palestinefacts.org/pf_early_palestine_name_origin.php Origin of the Name Palestine] Palestine Facts</ref> Gaza was part of the Philistine [[pentapolis]]; a league of the Philistine's five most important city-states. Gaza was the place where [[Samson]] was imprisoned and met his death.([[Judges]] 16:21) The prophets [[Amos (prophet)|Amos]] and [[Zephaniah]] professed that Gaza would be deserted.<ref>{{bibleverse||Amos|1:7}}</ref><ref>{{bibleverse||Zephaniah|2:4}}</ref><ref>Zev Vilnay, ''The Guide to Israel,'' Jerusalem, Hamakor, 1970, pp.298-299</ref> [[Tell es-Sakan]], dating to 3500 BCE, is five kilometers south of today's Gaza city. <ref>[http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/GeogHist/histories/history/hiscountries/G/gazastrip.html Gaza Strip] Cartage.</ref> Around 3000 BCE, the [[Canaan]]ites developed various urban centres.<ref name="mah"/> Artifacts from [[Tell al-Ajjul]], including pottery, alabaster and bronze works, are housed at the [[Rockefeller Museum]] in [[East Jerusalem]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pace.ps/publications/regional.html |title=Gaza Tour Guide |accessdate=2008-01-23 |author=Nicole |date=? |publisher=Gaza Tour Guide }}</ref> The city was invaded and captured by [[Thutmose III]] in 1484 BCE. This was the start of the ruling of the ancient Egypt. This was also the time where the name Gaza was first mentioned.<ref name="mah"/> Around 1200 BCE the Philistines started the settlement of the coastal area.<ref name="mah"/> Under the rule of the [[Neo-Assyrian Empire|Neo-Assyrians]], Gaza had to pay a tribute in 734 BCE. The Neo-Assyrians were followed by the [[Neo-Babylonian Empire|Neo-Babylonian]] domination.<ref name="mah"/> The attack of [[Cambyses I of Anshan|Cambyses I]] was resisted in 529 BCE. Later the [[Ancient Greece|Greek]]s established a trading post around 520 BCE. Some hundred years later the first coins were minted on the [[History of Athens|Athens model]] was around 380 BCE.<ref name="mah"/> After the [[Siege of Tyre]] in 332 BCE, [[Alexander the Great]] besieged Gaza, the last city to resist his conquest. Gaza, led by a eunuch named Batis and defended by Arab mercenaries, withstood the siege for two months, until it was overcome by storm. The defenders, most local elements, fought to death, and the women and children were taken captive. The city was resettled by neighboring [[Bedouin]]s.<ref>Bury, John Bagnell.''The Cambridge Ancient History''. [[Cambridge University Press]]. p. 147</ref> [[Ptolemaic dynasty|Ptolemy]] started the rule in the year 301 BCE. The [[Seleucid Empire|Seleucids]] dominated by the year 198 BCE.<ref name="mah"/> In 145 BCE Gaza was conquered by [[Jonathan Maccabaeus]], the [[Hasmonean]] (Brother of [[Judas Maccabeus|Judah]] the [[Maccabees|Maccabee]]). The new leaders under the rule of [[Alexander Jannaeus]] brought destruction and massacres around 96 BCE. The start of the Gaza era as dated by the [[Pompey]]'s calendar. As they were expelled and [[Judea]] was made a client kingdom of Rome by Pompey in 63 BCE, Gaza fell under the rule of [[Hyrcanus]] and later by [[Herod the Great]] around 30 BCE.<ref name="mah"/> In 6 CE, it was placed under direct [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] rule. There was a prospering Jewish presence in Gaza until the Roman ruler [[Gavinius]] expelled them in 61 CE as part of the [[First Jewish-Roman War]] leading to the destruction of Jerusalem by [[Titus]]. [[Hadrian]] visited the city in the year 130 CE.<ref name="mah"/> Around 250 CE [[Christianity]] started to spread.<ref name="mah"/> In the times of the [[Mishnah]] and the [[Talmud]] there was a large Jewish community in Gaza. The remains of the ancient Gaza [[synagogue]], built around 500 CE, were found near the city wharf.<ref name = JVL/> It was [[Muslim conquest of Syria|conquered by Muslims]] in the 630s after a siege during which the Jewish population of the city defended it alongside the [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] garrison.<ref>{{cite book |first=Norman |last=Stillman |title=The Jews of Arab Lands: A History and Source Book |publisher=Jewish Publication Society of America |location=Philadelphia |year=1979 |isbn=ISBN 1590454936 |pages=p. 24}}</ref> ===Islamic rule=== Gaza was captured by [[‘Amr ibn al-‘As]] a Muslim in 637 AD.<ref name="mah"/> Believed to be the site where prophet [[Muhammad]]'s great grandfather was buried, the city became an important Islamic center. The arrival and domination of the [[Abbasids]] started with the end of the [[Umayyad]]s around 750 CE. Gaza became a centre for the art of writing in the [[Caliphate|Islamic world]].<ref name="mah"/> Around 909 CE, the influence of the [[Fatimid]]s from Egypt started to grow. Leading to a slow decline of Gaza, although the important port of [[Maiouma]] was flourishing. The [[orange]] was introduced to the area arriving from [[India]] in 943 CE.<ref name="mah"/> The city was captured by [[Baldwin III of Jerusalem]]. The control was handed over to the [[Knights Templar]] in the year 1149. [[Saladin]] tried to regain control in its first raid in 1170 on Lower Gaza. [[Richard I of England]] recaptured the city from Saladin in 1191. The end of the period marked the conquest of the city by the Mongol [[Hulagu Khan]] in 1260.<ref name="mah"/> During this period, the Jewish community in Gaza was destroyed. The Jews, however, returned and their community was rebuilt with the return of the [[Mamluk]] occupation.<ref name = JVL/> Famous Gazan Jews include the [[medieval]] liturgical poet [[Israel Najara]], who is buried in Gaza's local cemetery, and the [[Sabbatai Zevi|Sabbatean]] prophet [[Nathan of Gaza]]. Rabbi [[Abraham Azulai]] lived in Gaza in 1619, and it was there that he wrote his [[Kabbalistic]] work "Hesed le-Avraham".<ref>{{Citation |title=[[Jewish Encyclopedia]] |contribution=Azulai, Azulay }}</ref> Nearly two decades later, the domination of the Mameluks started in 1277. They finished the reconstruction of the Great Mosque of Gaza in 1340.<ref name="mah"/> ===Ottoman rule=== Gaza was the capital of the Liwa of Gaza, which stretched from [[Jaffa]] in the north to [[Bayt Jibrin]] in the west to [[Rafah]] in the south. According to the 1557 ''tahrir defter'' the city included 2,477 male tax payers i.e. its population was about 12,000 people. These fugires exclude members of the military and religious classes. Detailed information on the cities demography and economy is provided by Cohen and Lewis ''Population and revenue in the towns of Palestine in the Sixteenth Century''(1978). In 1660, Gaza became the capital of [[Palestine]], although "Palestine" did not exist as an administrative unit or ''[[vilayet]]'' during Ottoman rule of the region. The ruler at that time was [[Hussein Pasha]]. Gaza maintained close contacts with the Christian Europe. [[Napoleon]] captured the city in 1799 and this was followed by a domination of the Turks. In February 1799, when the French forces led by Napoleon entered the city, it was struck by a terrible [[Plague (disease)|plague]] which caused the Jews to move to other areas in Palestine. Starting in the early 1800s, Gaza was culturally dominated by neighboring Egypt; [[Muhammad Ali of Egypt|Muhammad Ali]] made Gaza a part of Egypt in 1832.<ref name="mah"/> Though Gaza was recaptured by the Ottoman Empire, a large number of its residents were Egyptians (and their descendants) who had fled political turmoil.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-savage20jun20,0,263343.story?coll=la-opinion-center |title=The three-state solution |author=Jacob Savage |publisher=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=[[June 20]], [[2007]]}}</ref> The Ottomans lost it to the British in the [[Third Battle of Gaza]] on [[November 7]], [[1917]] during [[World War I]]. ===Twentieth century=== After World War I, the [[League of Nations]] (precursor to the United Nations) granted quasi-colonial authority over former Ottoman territories to Great Britain and France. Britain had the mandate over the areas that now comprise Israel, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and Jordan.<ref>[http://www.merip.org/palestine-israel_primer/brit-mandate-pal-isr-prime.html Palestine, Israel and the Arab-Israeli Conflict: A Primer-Page 3<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Many Jewish inhabitants of Gaza left during and after the [[1929 Palestine riots]]. From then on, the British prohibited Jews from living there. In 1946, however, a group of Jews established Kibbutz [[Kfar Darom]] in the central Gaza Strip, named for a Jewish town that had existed there in the Talmudic period. Though the Jewish community remained distinct, many still lived amongst the Christian and Muslim communities in neighborhoods such as Rimal. However, their numbers slowly dwindled as the tensions between Jews and Arabs increased throughout Palestine, causing mutual distrust. <ref name = JVL>{{cite web |url=http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Peace/gaza_settlements |title=A Brief History of the Gaza Settlements |work=Jewish Virtual Library}}</ref> After the Israeli-Arab war in [[1948]], [[Egypt]] occupied Gaza and its surrounding area. The city's growing population was augmented by an influx of Arab refugees fleeing [[Israel]]. Israel captured the city and the Gaza Strip during the 1967 [[Six Day War]], but withdrew completely in the wake of [[Ariel Sharon]]'s Gaza [[disengagement]] plan in 2005. With the onset of the Palestinian uprising known as the [[First Intifada]] in [[1987]], Gaza became a center of political unrest and confrontation between [[Israelis]] and [[Palestinians]], and economic conditions in the city worsened.{{Fact|date=April 2007}} ===Palestinian National Authority=== In September 1993, leaders of Israel and the [[Palestine Liberation Organization]] (PLO) signed the [[Oslo Accords]] calling for Palestinian administration of the Gaza Strip and the [[West Bank]] town of [[Jericho]], which was implemented in May 1994. The Israeli forces left Gaza, leaving a new [[Palestinian National Authority]] to administer and police the city, along with most of the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Authority, led by [[Yasser Arafat]], chose Gaza as its first provincial headquarters. In September 1995, Israel and the PLO [[Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip|signed a second peace agreement]] extending the Palestinian Authority to most West Bank towns. The agreement also established an elected 88-member [[Palestinian National Council]], which held its inaugural session in Gaza in March 1996.{{Fact|date=April 2007}} On [[September 12]], [[2005]] the Israeli cabinet formally declared an end to military rule. Israel also withdrew from the [[Philadelphi Route]], a narrow strip adjacent to the border with Egypt, after Egypt agreed to secure its side of the border. Under the [[Oslo Accords]], the Philadelphi Route was to remain under Israeli control to prevent arms smuggling. With Egypt agreeing to patrol its side of the border, it was hoped that this objective would be achieved.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6754499.stm BBC NEWS | Middle East | Abbas sacks Hamas-led government<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Hamas won a surprise victory in the Palestinian elections in early 2006. Since then, it has been engaged in a violent power struggle with Fatah. In 2007, Hamas violently overthrew Fatah forces in the Gaza Strip and its members were dismissed from the PNA government as a result. Currently, Hamas has ''de facto'' control of the area.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6754499.stm Abbas sacks Hamas-led government] ''[[BBC News]]''. [[2007-07-15]].</ref> Israel has continued to bombard Gaza and nearby cities in response to [[Qassam rocket]] attacks launched by Islamic terrorist organizations, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, from civilian population centers in the Gaza Strip. The European Union and the United Nations have called Israel's actions "disproportionate", but also demand that Palestinian militias halt rocket attacks.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7274929.stm Israeli Gaza operation 'not over'] ''[[BBC News]]''. [[2008-03-03]].</ref> A human rights coalition charged [[March 6]], [[2008]] that the humanitarian situation in Gaza had reached its worst point since [[Israel]] occupied the territory in the 1967 [[Six-Day War]].<ref>[http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/03/05/israel.gaza.crisis.ap/index.html Human rights coalition: Gaza at worst since 1967] ''[[CNN]]''. [[2008-03-05]].</ref> ==Demographics== [[Image:Gold Market, Gaza City.jpg|right|thumb|Gold Market, Gaza City]] The population of Gaza today is overwhelmingly Muslim, with a small minority of about 3,500 Christians, mostly adhering to the [[Greek Orthodox Church]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7246454.stm Militants bomb Gaza YMCA library] ''[[BBC News]]''. [[2008-02-15]].</ref> According to a 1997 census by the [[Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics]] (PCBS), Gaza and the adjacent [[al-Shati camp]] had a population of 353,115 inhabitants, of which 50.9% were males and 49.1% females. Gaza has an overwhelmingly young population with over half of which being between the age of infancy to 14 years (50.3%) and 25.7% were between the ages of 15 and 29. About 13.6% were between the ages of 30 to 44, 7.7% between ages 45 to 65 and 3.9% were over the age of 64.<ref>[http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_pcbs/phc_97/gaz_t1.aspx Palestinian Population by Locality, Sex and Age Groups in Years] [[Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics]] (PCBS)</ref> A massive influx of [[Palestinian refugee]]s swelled Gaza's population after the [[1948 Arab-Israeli War]]. By 1967, the population had grown to about six times its 1948 size. In 1997, 51.8% of Gaza's inhabitants were refugees or their descendants.<ref>[http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_pcbs/phc_97/gaz_t6.aspx Palestinian Population by Locality and Refugee Status] [[Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics]] (PCBS)</ref> The city's population has continued to increase since that time to 409,680 in 2006, making it the largest city in the [[Palestinian territories]].<ref>[http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_pcbs/populati/pop13.aspx Projected Mid -Year Population for Gaza Governorate by Locality 2004- 2006] [[Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics]] (PCBS)</ref> The birth rate is extremely high and the vast majority of Gazans live in poverty.<ref>[http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/palestine503/video_index.html# FRONTLINE/WORLD . Palestinian Territories - Inside Hamas . Story Synopis and Video . PBS<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> and rely on [[United Nations]] food aid to survive.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7266326.stm Five militants die in Gaza strike] ''[[BBC News]]''. [[2008-02-27]].</ref> ==Economy== {{Refimprove|date=April 2007}} [[Image:GazaTextiles.jpg|thumb|Backyard industry]] Gaza is the economic center for a region in which citrus fruits and other crops are grown. Many Gazans worked in Israeli service and industry when the border was open. The city contains some small industry, including textiles and food processing. A variety of wares are sold in Gaza's street bazaars, including carpets, pottery, wicker furniture, and cotton clothing; commercial development in the city is minimal. Gaza serves as a transportation hub for the [[Gaza Strip]], and contains a small port that serves a local fishing fleet. Poverty, unemployment, and poor living conditions are widespread. Gaza has serious deficiencies in housing, educational facilities, health facilities, infrastructure, and an inadequate sewage system, all of which have contributed to serious hygiene and public health problems. Overall economic development has been slow and hampered by frequent political unrest. [[Image:Gaza Beach.jpg|thumb|right|Beach in Gaza City]] ==Landmarks and public buildings== Landmarks in Gaza include the Great Mosque of Gaza (Great Omari Mosque)(see pictures at: http://www.baladna.ps/omari.htm), the Mosque of Al Sayed Hashem, the Mosque of Ibn Othman, the Mosque of Ibn Marwan, The Sheikh Abul Azm sanctuary, the Sheikh Ajlin sanctuary, Tell al Mintar, [[Napoleon]]'s fort (Al Radwan Castle), and the Church of St. [[Porphyrius]]<ref name="cato">{{cite web |url=http://www.catholicity.com/encyclopedia/p/porphyrius,saint.html |title=St. Porphyrius |accessdate=2008-01-24 |author=N.A. Weber |date=[[May 16]], [[2007]] |work=Catholic Encyclopedia | publisher=[[New Catholic Encyclopedia]] }}</ref>. *''The Great Mosque (Al-Omari Mosque)'' Located in downtown Gaza, Al-Omari Mosque with its splendid minaret, reputedly stands on the site of the first ancient temple of [[Dagon|Marnas]] then a [[Greek Orthodox]] Church. The mosque was also the site of the Church of [[St. John the Baptist]], a Norman church built by the Crusaders in the 12th century. On one of its pillars there used to be a Greek inscription which read "Hananiah bar Yaakov" (a Hebrew name) with a [[Menorah (Temple)|menorah]] carved above it.<ref>This column was originally part of a Byzantine-era [[synagogue]], destroyed at an unknown date and reused (recycled) as part of the Crusader church. When the Crusaders were driven out, the church was commandeered for use as a mosque. According to a biblical resource center, some time between 1987 and 1993, a ladder or scaffolding were erected and the carving was chisled off ({{cite web |url=http://members.bib-arch.org/nph-proxy.pl/000000A/http/www.basarchive.org/bswbSearch.asp=3fPubID=3dBSBA&Volume=3d20&Issue=3d2&ArticleID=3d4&UserID=3d0& |title=Peace, Politics and Archaeology |last=Shanks |first=Hershel |work=Biblical Archaeology Society}}).</ref> [[Image:qasr elbasha.jpg|thumb|right|Pasha's Palace Museum in Gaza's old city]] *''Napoleon's Fort (Qasr El-Basha)'' Also located in downtown Gaza, this imposing stone building dates back to the Mamluk period. Napoleon is believed to have spent a few nights here on his way through the town in 1799. {{Fact|date=February 2008}} *''St. Porphyrus Church'' This 4th century church is where St. Porphyrius<ref name="cato"/> died and was buried in 420 CE. It is located in the Gaza's old city and still in use today by the Greek Orthodox community. (see pictures at: http://www.baladna.ps/SPCGaza.htm) *''[[Al-Sayed Hashem Mosque]]'' Located in Al-Daraj Quarter, the mosque is one of the largest and most beautiful ancient mosques in Gaza. The tomb of Hashem bin Abd-Manaf, Mohammad's grandfather who died in Gaza during a trading voyage, is believed to be under the dome of the mosque. ==Transportation== The [[Yasser Arafat International Airport]] in Gaza opened in 1998, but its runways and facilities were largely destroyed by the Israeli armed forces during the [[Al-Aqsa Intifada]]. Following Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in September 2005, Palestinian and Israeli negotiators discussed the possibility of reopening it, but meanwhile it remains closed. ==Mayors== * Maged Awni Abu Ramadan (2005-) * Sa’ed Kharma (2001-2005) * Aown S. Shawa (1994-2001) * Alad Abdul Peensiyah (2001-2004) ==[[Town twinning]]== *{{flagicon|Israel}} [[Tel Aviv]], [[Israel]]<ref name="dq-is"> {{cite web | url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/952850.html | title=Tel Aviv decides to retain contract with Gaza City as `twin city` | publisher=Haaretz | accessdate=2008-02-11 |}}</ref> *{{flagicon|France}} [[Dunkerque]], [[France]]<ref name="dq-fr"> {{cite web | url=http://www.ville-dunkerque.fr/fr/entreprendrea-dunkerque/l-economie/dunkerque-internationale/index.html | title=La Communauté Urbaine de Dunkerque a signé des accords de coopération avec: | publisher=Hôtel de ville de Dunkerque - Place Charles Valentin - 59140 Dunkerque | accessdate=2008-01-28 |}}</ref> *{{flagicon|Italy}} [[Turin]], [[Italy]]<ref name="ct-tc"> [http://www.comune.torino.it/relint/ Turin City Hall - International Affairs] {{it icon}} Retrieved on [[2008]]-[[01-26]].</ref> *{{flagicon|Spain}} [[Barcelona]], [[Spain]]<ref name="bc-sc"> {{cite web | url=http://w3.bcn.es/XMLServeis/XMLHomeLinkPl/0,4022,229724149_257215678_1,00.html | title=Ciutats agermanades | publisher=Ajuntament de Barcelona | accessdate=2008-01-28 |}}</ref> *{{flagicon|Portugal}} [[Cascais]], [[Portugal]]<ref name="cc-sc"> {{cite web | url=http://www.cm-cascais.pt/Cascais/Cascais/Relacoes_internacionais/Cidades_Geminadas/ | title=Cidades Geminadas | publisher=Câmara Municipal de Cascais | accessdate=2008-01-28 |}}</ref> *{{flagicon|Norway}} [[Tromsø]], [[Norway]]<ref name="tc-sc"> {{cite web | url=http://www.tromso.kommune.no/index.gan?id=478&subid=0 | title=Vennskapsbyer | publisher=Tromsø kommune, Postmottak, Rådhuset, 9299 Tromsø | accessdate=2008-01-28 |}}</ref> ==See also== {{commonscat|Gaza}} * [[Al-Azhar University - Gaza]] * [[Battle of Gaza]] * [[Little Gaza]] * [[Porphyry of Gaza]] ==References== {{reflist}} http://www.iugaza.edu.ps External link (remember http:// prefix) ==External links== {{wikinews}} {{commons}} *[http://www.mogaza.org/ Municipality of Gaza] *[http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=31.513289,34.463425&spn=0.133744,0.240704&t=k Gaza at Google Maps] *[http://www.alazhar-gaza.edu Al-Azhar University-Gaza] *[http://www.iugaza.edu.ps The Islamic University - Gaza] *[http://www.mogaza.org/latemayor.htm] *Rashdan, Abdelrahman (2008-04-29), [http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1209357115097&pagename=Zone-English-Muslim_Affairs%2FMAELayout Myths and Facts about Gaza (FAQs)]''IslamOnline.net'' *[http://www.geschichteinchronologie.ch/judentum-aktenlage/il-ps/EncJud_gazastreifen-ENGL.html Gaza Strip and Jews in Gaza until 1929 (history) - highest density of population worldwide since 1949] (from Encyclopaedia Judaica 1971) {{Cities in the Gaza Strip}} {{Gaza Governorate}} [[Category:Cities in the Gaza Strip]] [[Category:Coastal cities]] [[Category:Gaza Governorate]] [[Category:Hebrew Bible cities]] [[Category:Philistine cities]] [[ar:غزة]] [[bn:গাজা ভূখন্ড]] [[bs:Gaza (grad)]] [[bg:Газа]] [[ca:Gaza]] [[cs:Gaza]] [[de:Gaza (Stadt)]] [[es:Gaza]] [[eo:Gaza-urbo]] [[eu:Gaza (hiria)]] [[fa:غزه (شهر)]] [[fr:Gaza]] [[gl:Gaza, Palestina]] [[hi:गज़ा]] [[id:Gaza]] [[it:Gaza (città)]] [[he:עזה]] [[la:Gaza]] [[mr:गाझा]] [[nl:Gaza]] [[ja:ガザ]] [[no:Gaza (by)]] [[nn:Gaza]] [[nov:Gaza]] [[pl:Gaza (Palestyna)]] [[pt:Gaza]] [[ru:Газа]] [[simple:Gaza]] [[sk:Gaza]] [[sr:Газа]] [[fi:Gaza (kaupunki)]] [[sv:Gaza]] [[tr:Gazze]] [[yi:עזה]] [[zh:加薩]]