Gaza antiquities and heritage show reflects Palestinian history

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The University College of Applied Sciences in the Gaza Strip has opened an exhibition of Palestinian antiquities and heritage, including embroidery and pottery as well as famous dishes. Put together in partnership with the Palestinian Government, the exhibition includes some items which date back thousands of years; some are dated to the Byzantine period, some are Canaanite and others are Mamluk and more recent periods.

According to the lead organiser, Hiyam Al-Betar, the aim of the exhibition is to show off some of the precious pieces of Palestinian history which explain where and how “our forefathers” lived. “Doing this establishes strong links between the present generations of Palestinians and their past,” she added.

The great number of authentic antiquities, insisted Al-Betar, emphasises the fact that Palestine has been and remains the land of the Palestinian people, not other nations.

In reply to a question about the inclusion of well-known Palestinian dishes in the exhibition, Al-Betar said that the intention is to refute Israeli claims that such food is “Israeli”. She denounced such claims as part of Israel’s false narrative of current and past events in Palestine.

MEMO Photographer: Mohammed Asad

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