- Al-Daraj
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Al-Daraj or Haraat al-Daraj (Arabic: حارة الدرج) is the densely populated northern quarter of Gaza's old city.[1] Its name translates as "Quarter of the Steps."[2] Situated on an oblong hill about 20 meters (66 ft) above sea level and higher than any other area in the city, al-Daraj likely received its name either from stairs that once led to it or from the feeling of climbing steps when attempting to reach the neighborhood. It is also referred to as the "Muslim Quarter" and contains several mosques and other Muslim edifices. Among them are the city's largest mosque, the Great Omari Mosque, as well as the al-Sayed Hashem Mosque, the Sheikh Zakariya Mosque, the Sheikh Faraj Mosque and Madrasa al-Zahrah.[3] Al-Daraj is separated from the southern Zaytun Quarter by Omar Mukhtar Street.[4]
It is the oldest populated area of the city, being built over the site of ancient Gaza.[5] The remnants of the city's ancient past are visible in many of the neighborhood's stone houses where marble columns and slabs have been reused as building materials. According to Ottoman tax records, al-Daraj was a relatively large neighborhood in 1525, with 141 households. Containing Qasr al-Basha, it was the seat of power during Ottoman rule over the city by at least the 17th century.[3]
References
Bibliography
- Meyer, Martin Abraham (1907). History of the city of Gaza: from the earliest times to the present day. Columbia University Press. http://books.google.com/?id=VI5tAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA84&dq=Nasir+Gaza#PPA108,M1.
- Sharon, Moshe (2009). Handbook of oriental studies: Handbuch der Orientalistik. The Near and Middle East. Corpus inscriptionum Arabicarum Palaestinae (CIAP). BRILL. ISBN 9004170855. http://books.google.com/books?id=P2LtyFVNJmcC&pg=PA62&dq=Daraj+Gaza&hl=en&ei=fQqQTa-2E8qgtgeF1aGICQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CEkQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=Daraj%20Gaza&f=false.
- Roy, Sara (2011). Between Extremism & Civism: Political Islam In Palestine. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0691124485. http://books.google.com/books?id=psGpkALC-W8C&pg=PA40&dq=Daraj+Gaza&hl=en&ei=qQqQTanvJsultwekuq2ICQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CDkQ6AEwAzgK#v=onepage&q=Daraj%20Gaza&f=false.
Gaza Gaza Topics History · Economy · Education · Tourism
Neighborhoods al-Daraj · Judeide · al-Nasser · Old City · Rimal · al-Sabra · al-Shati Camp · Sheikh Ijlin · Sheikh Radwan · Shuja'iyya · Tel al-Hawa · al-Tuffah · al-Turukman · Zeitoun
Places of Worship Baptist Church of Gaza · Great Mosque · Ibn Marwan Mosque · Ibn Uthman Mosque · Roman Catholic Church of Gaza · Saint Porphyrius Church · Sayed al-Hashim Mosque · Welayat Mosque
Historic buildings ·
Cultural centersAncient Synagogue · Hamam al-Sammara · Gaza Museum of Archaeology · Palestine Stadium · Qasr al-Basha · Qissariya Market · Palestinian Centre for Human Rights · Palestinian Legislative Council · Rashad Shawa Cultural Center · Shuja'iyya Market
Hospitals ·
UniversitiesAhli Hospital · al-Aqsa Hospital · al-Aqsa University · al-Azhar University · Islamic University · al-Shifa Hospital
Public Squares Palestine Square · Unknown Soldier's Square
Streets Ahmad Orabi Street · Izz al-Din al-Qassam Street · Jamal Abdel Nasser Street · Omar Mukhtar Street · Wehda Street
Transportation Port of Gaza
Categories:- Neighborhoods of Gaza
- Philistine cities
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