Abstract
Religious monumental buildings testify to ancient history, past civilizations, and different religions. Therefore, many countries are keen to protect their monuments in various ways. History has seen many wars and conflicts among religions to extend their control over one another, reflected in their attempts to destroy religious buildings or obliterate their features. Contrastingly, areas that experienced interfaith coexistence have survived due to the smooth implementation of architectural conservation. The current research investigated the extent to which religious coexistence has affected the preservation of architectural heritage by analyzing the urban and architectural morphology of the Grand Omari Mosque in Gaza. The research applied the descriptive-historical analysis approach to identify the urban and architectural components of the mosque that have changed or have been preserved due to peaceful interreligious relationships. The research found that Islamic, Christian, Jewish, and pagan architectural elements still exist in the mosque. In each era, people preserved these elements due to the coexistence and acceptance among the religions. This resulted in the preservation of thousands of years of architectural heritage, thus preventing it from obscuration or distortion.
Highlights
Morphology is the study of the evolution of forms within a built environment (Al Tawayha, Braganca, & Mateus, 2019: 47)
The people of Gaza were distinguished by their religious tolerance and respect for others
The Grand Omari Mosque began as a pagan temple, evident from a large rounded colored hole as a symbol of the previously worshiped sun
Summary
Morphology is the study of the evolution of forms within a built environment (Al Tawayha, Braganca, & Mateus, 2019: 47). This concept is often used in reference to a vernacular language of building that describes changes in the formal syntax of cities and buildings as their relationship to people changes (Kobylarczyk, 2019: 23). Throughout history, the mosque has seen visits from various rulers and world leaders. It is located in the Zaytun Quarter, an area in the center of Gaza measuring 6,500 m2. It was the last part of the mosque area to be fixed after large parts were truncated from centuries of war and natural disasters, such as earthquakes (Shriteh, 2014: 109)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
