Things to Do in Gaza City

Great Omari Mosque and the Old City

The Great Omari Mosque is Gaza's architectural memory compressed into one building. Look closely. Philistine foundations support Byzantine columns repurposed into Islamic arches, and the minaret has been rebuilt at least three times. Walking the surrounding lanes of the Old City, you'll catch the sharp tang of preserved lemons from spice stalls and hear the rhythmic clack of backgammon tiles from cafes tucked into Mamluk-era doorways. The stonework invites touch. Locals brush it as they pass, the way you'd touch a familiar banister at home.

Qasr Al-Basha (Pasha's Palace) Museum

Built during the Mamluk period and later used by Napoleon as a barracks for three nights in 1799, this stout stone palace now houses Gaza's main archaeological collection. The displays themselves are modest. But the building does a lot of the talking: vaulted ceilings, a courtyard with a fig tree that's been there longer than most countries, and small bronze artifacts pulled from the harbor that gleam under dim museum lighting. Signage is minimal. Mostly Arabic.

The Port and Corniche Walk

Gaza's small fishing port comes alive twice each day. Around dawn and again at dusk. Wooden hasakeh boats unload sardines, sea bream, and the occasional grouper onto wet stone slabs. Walking the corniche south toward the Rimal district, you'll feel the Mediterranean breeze cut through what's otherwise a fairly humid coastal heat. Families gather on the sand with thermoses of sage tea. It's unexpectedly peaceful. The seafront hasn't been polished for tourism.

Church of Saint Porphyrius

One of the oldest continuously active churches in the world, dating to the fifth century, Saint Porphyrius sits in the Zaytun quarter and serves Gaza's small Greek Orthodox community. The interior is dim. It smells of beeswax and frankincense, with worn stone underfoot that's been polished smooth by sixteen centuries of footsteps. The Crusader-era arches feel impossibly heavy and quiet.

Souq Al-Zawiya

The covered market in the Old City is where Gaza shops, which is to say it's not a tourist set-piece. It's a working souq. Pyramids of sumac and za'atar, hanging bundles of dried mint, copper coffee pots being hammered into shape, and the specific Gazan red chili paste called shatta that you'll smell before you see it. The narrow lanes are busy enough that you'll want to walk slowly.

Rimal: Gaza City's most cosmopolitan district, with seafront hotels, cafes, and the embassies that remain. The default choice for international visitors.

Old City (Daraj): atmospheric stone lanes, walking distance to the Great Omari Mosque and Souq Al-Zawiya. Fewer formal hotels. But characterful guesthouses when available.

Zaytun: quieter residential quarter near Saint Porphyrius Church. Good for those wanting a less commercial base.

Sheikh Radwan: northern neighborhood with more local feel. Useful if you are working with organizations based in that part of the city.

Tal al-Hawa: southern Rimal, with mid-range accommodation options and easy access to the corniche.

Nasr: northwestern district near the coast, with a mix of residential and small hotel options when operating.