Qasr al-Basha

According to local legend, in the 13th century CE, when Baibars was still a general fighting the Crusaders and Mongols throughout the Levant, he passed through Gaza on several occasions.

[4] Turkish traveller Evliya Çelebi wrote of Qasr al-Basha in 1649, saying "the Citadel was built in ancient times and destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar.

The commander and the garrison must always be present here to fulfill their guard duties because it is in a dangerous place, here the Arab tribes and the enemy are numerous.

After building new facilities for the girls school, restoration began under the supervision of the Palestinian Authority Department of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage.

During the first phase of the project, workers landscaped the museum grounds, installed new doors, windows and gates, and restored the façade of the palace.

[4] In the second phase of the project, display cases were installed and exhibitions were held of Neolithic, Ancient Egyptian, Phoenician, Persian, Hellenistic, and Roman artifacts.

The palace in 2016
The museum entrance
Pasha's Palace Museum