• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Gaza

Gaza was the first Palestinian City to enter the historical records. It was mentioned in the ancient Egyptian texts. The meaning of the name "Gaza" is multiple: some attribute it to the Canaanites and interpret it to mean "strength". Others say that the Persians called it "Hazatote", meaning "treasure" because they believed a treasure was buried there. The Arabs named it "Ghazzat Hashem" after the Prophet Muhammad's great grandfather, who is said to have died here during one of his trade trips.

Gaza City is the principal city and administrative center of the Gaza Strip, a rectangular coastal area, on the Mediterranean Sea adjoining Egypt and Israel, in what was formerly SW Palestine. It is a densely populated and impoverished region inhabited primarily by Palestinian refugees; the majority live in large, overcrowded refugee camps. Population density in some areas of Gaza reaches more than 3,000 inhabitants per square mile, with approximately 33% of the families in Gaza living below the poverty line ($470 per year).

In ancient times, Gaza was an Egyptian garrison town (it is mentioned in the Tell el Amarna letters); later, it was one of the chief cities of the Philistines. There Samson brought down the temple on his captors and himself. Gaza was besieged for five months by Alexander the Great and during the wars of the Maccabees and in the Crusades. The town has long been of commercial importance, the meeting place of caravans between Egypt and Syria. The site of modern Gaza dates from the building programs of Herod the Great.

Driving through the northern suburbs of Gaza, crumbling brown maze of low buildings give the visitor an impression of overcrowding and poverty. The new high-risers, known locally as "Abraj" or towers, stand witness to more recent political and economic developments more prominently displayed in Gaza than the West Bank. The historic part of the city is compact and extends no further than a 5- minute walk from the Palestine Square in the heart of the city. The most important street is Omar al Mukhtar street, which runs east to west from Al Shuja'iyya quarter to the sea.

The old city of Gaza was built on a "Tell" (hill) rising 45 meters above sea level. It had an area of one square kilometer and was surrounded by a great wall with gates. As it grew, the city spread to the north, south and east. Gaza City is divided into quarters both out of and within the old city limits.

Places of interest to the visitor are the Great Omari mosque, the Mosque of Al Ssayed Hashem, the Mosque if 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. The city also has many new resorts where tourists and local people can swim and relax by the beach or swimming pools.