Ancient Gaza monastery restored by unemployed young Palestinians

For the third year in a row, a Palestinian team under French supervision works on the restoration of St. Hilarion Monastery in Gaza's Nuseirat refugee camp.
Capitals (L) and two plinths (R) are seen in the sand at the archaeological site of the St. Hilarion Monastery, in Tell Umm al-Amr, central Gaza Strip, March 19, 2013.
Capitals (L) and two plinths (R) are seen in the sand at the archaeological site of the St. Hilarion Monastery, in Tell Umm al-Amr, central Gaza Strip, March 19, 2013. - Mohammed Abed/AFP via Getty Images
Mervat Ouf
Mervat Ouf
@MervatMahammed

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — On a school trip in 2010, Naama al-Sawarka visited the St. Hilarion Monastery, which dates back to 329 and is located in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.

The site was abandoned and the other students did not like the place, but Sawarka said she loved it immensely. “I left part of my heart there,” she told Al-Monitor.  

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