GAZA, March 18 (Xinhua) -- A ray of sunlight streams through a gap in the ceiling of the hall that once held the library of the Great Omari Mosque in Gaza City's Old City, illuminating piles of books -- torn, burned, and half-buried beneath the rubble.
Before the latest chapter of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict erupted on Oct. 7, 2023, the library housed an extensive collection of works in literature, history, medicine and law, serving students, researchers and heritage enthusiasts.
Today, the hall lies in ruins, prompting volunteers and heritage activists to launch an initiative to recover the surviving books and manuscripts.
Operating under the non-profit organization Eyes on Heritage, which documents and protects historical sites in Gaza, the volunteers work cautiously to preserve a part of the city's cultural memory.
Haneen Al-Amsi, director of Eyes on Heritage, told Xinhua that the extent of the destruction was shocking when she first visited the site.
"Thousands of books were torn or completely burned, and some manuscripts were buried under rubble," she said. "The scene was painful for anyone to be aware of the historical and cultural value of this place."
The Great Omari Mosque, one of the largest and oldest mosques in the Gaza Strip, covers about 4,100 square meters. Its library once housed approximately 20,000 books and manuscripts, but early assessments suggest only about 4,000 volumes can be salvaged or restored after the mosque was bombed in December 2023 during Israeli military operations in Gaza.
"The western section of the library was completely destroyed, and thousands of books were lost beyond repair," Al-Amsi said.
Volunteers, wearing gloves and protective masks, sift carefully through the rubble, using hand brushes and wooden sticks to lift dust and debris without further damaging the fragile materials.
"Each book we recover represents a part of Gaza's history," Al-Amsi said. "These are documents that reflect the intellectual and cultural life of the city over centuries." Some manuscripts date back to the Ottoman era and cover topics such as jurisprudence and medicine.
Among the volunteers is Faten Shukri, a university student in contemporary history, who uses her mobile phone as a light source to clean scattered books with a small brush.
"I joined this team to help preserve the city's heritage," she said. "These books contain information about our history and our people. Handling them carefully is the only way to protect what remains."
Shukri added that many books had been trapped under rubble for more than two years, leading to deterioration from humidity and dust.
Volunteers face challenges due to the lack of specialized equipment, relying mostly on basic tools to remove dust, separate stuck pages, and prepare books for potential restoration. Despite the difficulties, volunteers emphasize that their work is essential for preserving Gaza's cultural heritage.
Al-Amsi noted that the initiative relies primarily on volunteer labor, expressing hope that more resources will become available to support what they consider a precious endeavor.
"Saving these books is an attempt to protect a part of Gaza's cultural and historical memory," she said. "They are a testament to the city's resilience and the history it has endured over centuries." ■
