SMF - Just Installed!
Posted by Mudhab
- Feb 24, 2026, 07:47 PMInside the shattered remains of one of the oldest libraries in the Palestinian territories, determined volunteers in Gaza are working tirelessly to rescue what survives of their cultural heritage. Once a respected center of learning, the dust-covered structure now reflects both deep destruction and remarkable resilience.
The library of the historic Great Omari Mosque suffered heavy damage during the war that erupted in October 2023. The conflict devastated large parts of Gaza, destroying homes, schools, and treasured religious and cultural landmarks that had stood for centuries.
Situated in the heart of Gaza's old town, the mosque complex today lies largely in ruins. Its library, formerly home to rare manuscripts and scholarly collections, is now strewn with rubble and ash. For many residents, the loss struck at the core of the city's intellectual and spiritual identity.
Haneen Al-Amsi, head of the Eyes on Heritage Volunteer Foundation, expressed deep sorrow at the scale of destruction. She explained that part of the library was burned when the mosque was hit, resulting in irreversible losses. Out of nearly 20,000 books, only around 3,000 to 4,000 volumes are believed to have survived.
Even so, volunteers continue to sift carefully through debris, salvaging charred pages and damaged manuscripts. Before the war, the library was considered one of the largest in Palestine, alongside the library of An-Najah National University and the renowned Islamic University of Gaza library, housing works on jurisprudence, medicine, Islamic law, and literature.
Gaza's history stretches back thousands of years, shaped by civilizations including the Canaanites, Egyptians, Persians, and Greeks. However, more than two years of conflict between Israel Defense Forces and Hamas have severely harmed its cultural landscape. According to UNESCO, at least 150 cultural sites had been confirmed damaged by January 2026, including mosques, churches, and historic buildings.
For the volunteers, restoring the surviving books is not only about preservation but about identity and continuity. As Al-Amsi stressed, the rescued volumes are living witnesses to generations of scholarship, faith, and tradition—symbols of a heritage that endures despite war and devastation.
Source:
The library of the historic Great Omari Mosque suffered heavy damage during the war that erupted in October 2023. The conflict devastated large parts of Gaza, destroying homes, schools, and treasured religious and cultural landmarks that had stood for centuries.
Situated in the heart of Gaza's old town, the mosque complex today lies largely in ruins. Its library, formerly home to rare manuscripts and scholarly collections, is now strewn with rubble and ash. For many residents, the loss struck at the core of the city's intellectual and spiritual identity.
Haneen Al-Amsi, head of the Eyes on Heritage Volunteer Foundation, expressed deep sorrow at the scale of destruction. She explained that part of the library was burned when the mosque was hit, resulting in irreversible losses. Out of nearly 20,000 books, only around 3,000 to 4,000 volumes are believed to have survived.
Even so, volunteers continue to sift carefully through debris, salvaging charred pages and damaged manuscripts. Before the war, the library was considered one of the largest in Palestine, alongside the library of An-Najah National University and the renowned Islamic University of Gaza library, housing works on jurisprudence, medicine, Islamic law, and literature.
Gaza's history stretches back thousands of years, shaped by civilizations including the Canaanites, Egyptians, Persians, and Greeks. However, more than two years of conflict between Israel Defense Forces and Hamas have severely harmed its cultural landscape. According to UNESCO, at least 150 cultural sites had been confirmed damaged by January 2026, including mosques, churches, and historic buildings.
For the volunteers, restoring the surviving books is not only about preservation but about identity and continuity. As Al-Amsi stressed, the rescued volumes are living witnesses to generations of scholarship, faith, and tradition—symbols of a heritage that endures despite war and devastation.
Source: