Being built outside the city's wall, Shuja'iyya had more potential to grow than the al-Daraj, Zaytoun, and al-Tuffah quarters.

The southern part of the area is called al-Turkuman because of the concentration of Turkoman clans who settled there during the reign of Ayyubid sultan as-Salih Ayyub between 1240 and 1249.

[3] On October 6, 1987, just before the outbreak of the First Intifada, Shuja'iyya was the site of an armed confrontation between the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Israeli Army (IDF).

The clash resulted in the death of an IDF officer and four Islamic Jihad militants, and the day has been commemorated by the latter as the "Battle of Shuja'iyya."

[13][14] Shuja'iyya had been a frequent target in Israel's 2008-09 airstrikes of the Gaza Strip, which killed several members of Hamas' security forces and destroyed the local police station.

[15][16] A coalition of Hamas and Islamic Jihad forces battled intensely with the IDF days after the airstrikes.

[19] Between 65 and 120 Palestinians were killed in the fighting, including at least 17 children, 14 women and four elderly persons,[20][21] as well as 13 Israeli soldiers.

Funding is allocated according to a ladder of importance, from small to large-scale damage, and many of the cement vouchers for families are sold on the black market.

It aims to improve the environment and living conditions of its citizens, by widening, restoring, and repairing roads in the district.

Within this mosque lies the tomb of Saif Al-Din Yalkhaja, a Mamluk under the rule of Sultan "Al-Zahir Barquq."

[30][31] The Grand Mosque has several foundational stones that reveal its history of demolition and restoration, dating back to the ninth century Hijri and continuing until the mid-century.

[32] Another landmark in this neighborhood is the "Mahkamah Mosque," which housed a school of significant importance, as indicated by an inscription above its north-closed door.