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]