Gazans mourn loss of 20,000 artefacts from centuries-old palace wiped out by war

In the heart of Gaza city, centuries of history once whispered through stone walls at Al Basha Palace, for generations a living testament to Palestine’s cultural identity. Today, the landmark museum lies in ruins, a casualty of Israel’s war on Gaza − its treasures allegedly plundered, its history buried beneath rubble.

Gaza authorities accuse Israel of looting more than 17,000 artefacts from the museum before bombing it to oblivion as part of a systematic campaign to erase Gaza's heritage.

Israel has not commented on the matter and The National was unable to confirm the allegations through independent sources.

Before the war, it was one of the most important archaeological and architectural landmarks in Palestine, embodying the grandeur of older Islamic civilisations. Though the exact date of construction is unclear, archaeological evidence and its design trace the origins to the Mamluk period − which spanned the mid-13th century to the mid-16th century − when Gaza flourished as a centre of trade and scholarship.

By the early 2000s, after three major restoration projects funded by the UN, Al Basha had been transformed into a state museum, welcoming hundreds of visitors daily in Gaza city's Al Daraj neighbourhood.

The Israeli military bombed the palace in December 2023, the third month of the war, as its troops fought militants inside Gaza city and surrounding areas.

“The Israeli occupation destroyed all archaeological sites and heritage centres in Gaza in an attempt to erase Palestinian history and identity,” Ismail Al Thawabta, director of Gaza's government media office, told The National.

“Al Basha Palace Museum housed thousands of artefacts telling the stories of the civilisations that ruled Gaza throughout history.”

According to Gaza’s cultural authorities, more than 316 heritage sites and historical buildings were completely or partially destroyed in the war, many of them dating back to the Mamluk and Ottoman eras, while