Gaza's Heritage Rescue Lab

Palestine

Gaza’s Old City holds some of Palestine's most significant heritage: the Great Omari Mosque, the Qaissariya gold souq, and Ottoman-era merchant houses such as El-Saqqa House and Dar Farrah. These sites anchor the city's religious and commercial life and the memory of families who have lived around them for generations.

This project was carried out during one of the most severe phases of the ongoing Israeli military assault on Gaza, with forced starvation, bombardment, and displacement at unprecedented levels. Physical destruction has damaged cultural heritage across the Strip, including the Old City. Amid acute shortages for two million people, evacuation alerts and lack of safe humanitarian access also forced the suspension of all physical restoration work.

With €55,430 in flexible support from CER, RIWAQ – Centre for Architectural Conservation established the Gaza Heritage Rescue Lab. The grant sustained four heritage professionals (three in Gaza and one in Ramallah), and covered two work venues in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis, with electricity and internet. The team documented and assessed damage at eight major sites, prepared a "Day After Ceasefire" action plan for Gaza’s Municipality, and built coordination workflows with UNMAS, the Ministry of Waqf, and others. A lithium battery was bought to keep Gaza Municipality’s operations running amid widespread power outages.

Following a cash-for-work model, the grant gave local practitioners income stability amidst severe food shortages. However, as restoration and access to materials remain impossible before a ceasefire, the project's most durable result is the expertise it kept in place.