Inside the Shajaiya neighborhood in the east of Gaza City, Al-Thafar Damri Mosque attests to the prestigious history of the Islamic civilization during the Mamluk period, with its facades and courtyards showing Quranic verses and embellished with decorations engraved in sandstone and pointed arches. 

The Shajaiya neighborhood is named after Shuja al-Din al-Kurdi, an Ayyubid emir who was killed in one of the battles between the Ayyubids and the Crusaders in 1239 AD. The neighborhood was built during the Ayyubid era. It stretches across 14,305 acres and is inhabited by more than 110,000 persons. Most of its residents work in light industries such as clothing production and agriculture. The neighborhood witnessed its most prosperous period during the Mamluk era. 

Kamal Al-Afghani, the imam of Al-Thafar Damri Mosque, told Al-Monitor, “The mosque was named after its founder, the Mamluk Prince Shihab al-Din Ahmad bin Azafir al-Thafer Damri from Thafer Damar in the countries of the Maghreb. It was built in 1360 AD and is deemed one of the oldest and most important Islamic and archaeological monuments in the Gaza Strip.”

He added, “The mosque consists of two parts, one modern and another ancient. It consists of three iwans [rectangular halls] overlooking the prayer house, separated by wall-mounted pointed arches, a renowned characteristic of Islamic architecture. The arches are decorated with sandstone-engraved ornaments, while the windows take the shape of a horseshoe arc. Each window is separated from the other with a gate allowing the entry of worshipers to the prayer house. The mosque’s area is estimated at more than 600 square meters and it can accommodate nearly 800 worshipers.”