More than a year into the Israel-Hamas war, Gazans in the southern city of Khan Yunis are set on preserving their Palestinian heritage. While Mohamed Sha'at has been clearing the historic Mamluk-era Barquq castle from the rubble, Ramadan Ahmed, a researcher and artist, has spent decades collecting antiquities from destroyed museums and carving rocks to document the reality of Gazans under Israeli siege and bombardment.
Barquq Castle, which is in ruins, was established in 1387 by Prince Younis Duadar at the request of Sultan Barquq, one of the Mamluk sultans of the Arab-Islamic era and the founder of the Burj Mamluk state. It is one of the most essential Mamluk fortifications in the region of Palestine. The castle is 20 kilometres from the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, along the historical road from Cairo to Damascus known as the Via Maris. The Palestinian city of Khan Yunis is named after the site.
