Inside the dusty shell of one of the Gaza Strip’s oldest libraries, a group of Palestinian volunteers are working diligently to salvage remnants of their ancient cultural heritage.
The Great Omari Mosque Library was severely damaged by Israel during the brutal war in Gaza that began in October 2023 and devastated the Palestinian territories, including cultural and religious sites.
mosque — In the old part of Gaza City — The library now stands largely in ruins, covered in rubble and dust.
“I was shocked to see how much the library had been destroyed,” said Haneen Al Amsi. She added that the devastating scenes helped her start planning the restoration.
Amsi, head of the Eyes on Heritage Volunteer Foundation, said the mosque was attacked by Israeli forces and the western part of the library was burned, causing irreparable damage.
“It was estimated that the library would have about 20,000 books, but now there are less than 3,000 to 4,000 left,” she explained.
A treasure trove of archaeological artifacts
Amid the rubble, volunteers hoping to restore the collection searched for charred manuscript fragments and yellowed scraps of paper.
“The Great Omari Mosque Library is considered the third largest library in Palestine, after the Al-Aqsa Mosque Library and the Ahmed Pasha Al Jajjar Library,” Amsi said.
“It is an important historical library containing original manuscripts and a wide range of books on jurisprudence, medicine, Islamic law, literature and many other subjects.”
Gaza’s history dates back thousands of years, making the area a treasure trove of archaeological remains from past civilizations, including the Canaanites, Egyptians, Persians and Greeks.
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