Gaza: A Tapestry of Ancient Greek History and Cultural Resilience

Did you know that Gaza was once a gorgeous Greek city? In late antiquity, it served as a prosperous hub of commerce and culture for the Greek-speaking Byzantines, a centre of philosophy and learning.

When the Greeks were in charge, Gaza was considered one of the great intellectual centres of the Mediterranean world—far from its current state under Islamist rule.

The fifth-century Byzantine philosopher Aeneas of Gaza called the city “the Athens of Asia.” Gaza was renowned for its wine, a delicacy far beyond its borders. Tragically, Muslim Arabs invaded the city in 637, leading to the decline of Greek influence and the onset of forced Islamization.

Ancient Roots

Located on the Mediterranean seashore, 32 km north of the Egyptian border, Gaza City is considered one of the most ancient towns in the world. Strategically positioned on the Mediterranean coastal route, ancient Gaza was a prosperous trade centre and a key stop on the caravan route between Egypt and Syria.

Gaza was a major Philistine city in the early Iron Age, associated with the Canaanite god Dagon. It is mentioned several times in the Bible, especially as the site where, according to tradition, Samson brought down the Philistine temple. The city was captured by the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III in 734 BC and remained under Assyrian control until the middle of the seventh century BC.

In the sixth century, Gaza became an important royal fortress under the Babylonians. It flourished during the Hellenistic and Roman periods, and the ancient Greek historian Herodotus noted it as Kadytis. In 332 BC, Alexander the Great captured the city after a long siege, leading to its expansion into a major urban centre with temples dedicated to various deities, including Zeus and Apollo.

During the Byzantine period, Gaza was renamed Constantia, and a large church was constructed on the site of the temple of Marnas. It appeared on the Madaba mosaic map from the sixth century as a city with colonnaded streets and a significant basilica at its centre.

In 636, Gaza came under Islamic rule and became known as the burial place of Hashim, the grandfather of the Prophet Mohammed. Saladin captured the city in 1187, later becoming part of the Ayyubid state and a regional capital during the Mamluk period. The Ottoman Empire took control in 1516, making Gaza the capital of the province of Palestine and a central trade hub.

Gaza remained under British rule from 1918 to 1948, followed by Egyptian administration until 1967, when it fell under Israeli occupation. After the transfer of authority to the Palestinians in 1995, Gaza was once again governed by its people.