450-year-old home restored in traditional style in Gaza
A Gaza resident has turned his centuries-old house into a Damascene-type home with an inner courtyard, using old cut stones, stained glass and iron.
In the old town of the Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City, a 450-year-old house stands out with its unique archaeological design.
Built during Ottoman rule in Palestine, the house belongs today to Atef Salameh. Salameh has turned it into a shami, a typical Syrian house like the ones in popular TV series, such as “Bab al-Hara” ("The Neighborhood's Gate") and “Layali al-Salihia” ("Salihia Nights").
“I turned my home into a traditional Syrian house, or shami, because I take pride in the Arab heritage, which the Israeli occupation strives to erase from our memory. I want to prove wrong the old Israeli saying ‘The old die and the young forget,’” Salameh told Al-Monitor.
With its ancient cut stones, stained glass windows and an inner courtyard with a well, Salameh’s house is the result of a major investment, in terms of both planning and funding.
