Tuffah Explained

Tuffah
Settlement Type:Neighborhood
Official Name:At-Tuffah
Pushpin Map:Palestine Gaza
Pushpin Label Position:bottom
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Gaza Strip
Pushpin Mapsize:250
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Governorate
Subdivision Name1:Gaza Governorate
Subdivision Type2:City
Subdivision Name2:Gaza
Unit Pref:Metric
Population Blank1 Title:Ethnicities
Population Blank2 Title:Religions
Timezone:EET
Utc Offset:+2
Timezone Dst:+3
Coordinates:31.5159°N 34.4693°W

Tuffah (Arabic: التفاح, literally: "the Apple") is a district of Gaza City,[1] located northeast of the Old City and is divided into eastern and western halves.[2] Prior to its expansion and the demolition of the Old City's walls, Tuffah was one of the three walled quarters of Gaza, the other two being al-Daraj and Zeitoun. Tuffah was situated in the northeastern section of the Old City. The local pronunciation of the district's name is at-tuffen.[3]

Tuffah has existed since early Mamluk rule in Gaza in the 13th century. The southern part of Tuffah was called "ad-Dabbaghah". According to Ottoman tax records in the late 16th century, it was a small neighborhood containing 57 households. The ad-Dabbaghah neighborhood contained Gaza's slaughterhouse and tanners' facilities during the Ottoman era (1517-1917). The northern subdivision of Tuffah was called "Bani Amir."[3]

The 14th-century Ibn Marwan Mosque is located in the district as is the 13th-century Aybaki Mosque.[4] Home to the British War Cemetery, Tuffah also contains Gaza's public library and a number of Palestinian Red Crescent schools.[5]

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Notes and References

  1. Butt, 1995, p.9.
  2. Sheehan, 1999, pp. 428-429.
  3. Sharon, 2009, p. 29
  4. Shahin, p. 438.
  5. http://www.arts.mcgill.ca/programs/polisci/faculty/rexb/directory/ngos/educate.html Education in Gaza