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 . 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 GazaâÂÂIsrael conflict, the Old City has been described in 2024 as "a vast field of ruins".
The city's origins trace back to around 3000 BCE, when it was first established by the Canaanites. Gaza rose to prominence due to its location on the Via Maris trade route that links Africa and Asia, serving as a hub for merchants and travelers. Like the wider region, it subsequently fell under the control of the Egyptian, Assyrian, and the Persian empires. Alexander the Great captured the city in 332 BC following a siege which killed most of the inhabitants. The area changed hands regularly between two Greek successor-kingdoms, the Seleucids of Syria and the Ptolemies of Egypt, with a particularly notable battle in 312 BC, until it was besieged and taken by the Hasmoneans in 96 BC. The city was rebuilt by Roman General Pompey, and maintained its prosperity throughout the Roman period, receiving grants from several different emperors. It grew as a center for the trade of spices and perfumes during this period.
The city's conversion to Christianity was spearheaded and completed under Saint Porphyrius, who destroyed its eight pagan temples between 396 and 420 AD. Gaza was conquered by the Muslim general Amr ibn al-As in 637 AD and most Gazans adopted Islam during early Muslim rule. The Crusaders wrested control of Gaza from the Fatimids in 1100, but were driven out by Saladin's forces in a battle in 1239. The city was destroyed during the Mongol raids into Palestine; it was the Mongol's southernmost point of conquest. Gaza was in Mamluk hands by the late 13th century, and became a regional capital. Under the Ottomans the city continued as the regional capital of the Gaza Sanjak, and witnessed a golden age under the Ridwan dynasty from c.1560-1690. Gaza was culturally dominated by neighboring Egypt from the early 19th century; Muhammad Ali of Egypt conquered it and most of Palestine in 1832. When World War I erupted in 1917, British forces were defeated by the Ottomans in the first and second Battle of Gaza. General Edmund Allenby, leading the Allied Forces, finally conquered Gaza in a third battle.
The city expanded outside of the area of the Old City during the twentieth century. In modern times, much of the Old City was destroyed by Israeli bombardment during the ongoing GazaâÂÂIsrael conflict. In 2026 Palestine began the process of proposing the Old City of Gaza as a World Heritage Site.
The Old City of Gaza is divided into four main quarters, some of which have subdivisions. Three of these quarters â Tuffah, Daraj, and Zaytun â were located within the walls of the ancient city, while the southeastern quarter, Shuja'iyya, developed later, mostly outside its walls:
The Old City of Gaza is renowned for its architectural landmarks, many of which date back to the Mamluk and Ottoman periods. The dense urban fabric includes mosques, churches, bathhouses, and markets that showcase a blend of Byzantine, Mamluk, and Ottoman architectural styles. Despite modern development, the Old City retains many elements of its historical layout.
The ancient tell upon which the Old City sits has never been thoroughly excavated, for a number of reasons, including biases towards sites more important to biblical archaeology, fluctuating political conditions and upheavals, as well as the density of the existing built structures, many of which are also historically valuable. Its northwestern side is called Tel el-Kharrubi (or Tel el-Harubeh), so name for the cemetery there where an honoured wali, Sheikh el-Kharrubi is buried.