Shamsaddin
al-Dimashqi, geographer
(1256-1327)

'I
remember seeing trees all about the city, olives and almond groves.'

Ibrahim
Skeik, historian
(1920-2004)

This
was Gaza. A place of humanity and creativity, resourcefulness and spirit, now
devastated by Israel's onslaught that has destroyed lives, pulverised buildings
and displaced an entire population. Today, as Palestinian heritage is being
destroyed, the survivors of Gaza preserve their culture and history through
literature, music, stories and memories.

Daybreak
in Gaza
portrays an extraordinary place and people, showcasing the illustrious
achievements of the past and the wisdom of Gazans today. Vignettes of artists,
acrobats, students, shopkeepers and medics offer stories of life, love,
displacement, loss and survival, rubbing shoulders with vivid accounts of the
warriors and travellers of old.

Daybreak
in Gaza
humanises the people dismissed as mere statistics and 'collateral damage' and
portrays Gazan lives full of joy and meaning. This remarkable book seeks to
preserve the heritage that has been lost, and that which can never be lost,
revealing the wealth of Gaza's cultural landscape and the depth of its history.