Port of Gaza
| Port of Gaza | |
|---|---|
_-_The_port_of_gaza..jpg)
Gaza port, 1980
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| Location | |
| Country | Palestine |
| Location | Gaza Governorate, Gaza Strip |
| Coordinates | 31°31′33″N 34°25′50″E / 31.52583°N 34.43056°E |
| Details | |
| Operated by | Palestinian National Authority |
| Land area | 48,000 sqm |
| Piers | 970m + 330m |
The Port of Gaza is a small port near the Rimal district of Gaza City.
In antiquity, Gaza port was the principal port on the Mediterranean serving the Incense Road. Strabo and Ptolemy referred to it as Gazaion limen. The port was distinct from the city, which was located opposite it. Under Constantine the Great, the settled area around the port was granted city status and named Konstaneia. Under the emperor Julian, it was downgraded and the name was changed to Maioumas ("harbor place"). It became associated at this time with a pagan festival.
The Port of Gaza was at the end of the Nabataean spice road where trade was conducted in herbs, spices incense, drapery, glass and food. Goods arrived in the port on the backs of camels from Southern Arabia (the Kingdom of Sheba) through Petra, the Arava Valley and crossing Negev Desert via Avdat. At the port of Gaza, these goods were dispatched to the European markets.
Alexander Jannaeus' conquest of Gaza (99 BCE) that denied the Nabateans access to the port and trade with Rome led to Obodas launching a military campaign against the Hasmonean King.
Gaza Port was rebuilt after it was incorporated into the Roman Empire in 63 BCE under the command of Pompey Magnus and trade routes were reopened.
In 2011, eight Roman columns believed to be the remains of a church were swept ashore during a storm. In 2013, the Palestinian naval police found ancient artifacts that included poles and baked clay.
Before World War I, Gaza was a busy port. In 2006, after the election of Hamas, Israel imposed a naval blockade. Restrictions were tightened in 2007 after Hamas took full control. Several attempts to break the Israeli blockade were made. Israel has prevented most ships from docking at the port of Gaza, but has allowed at least two boats, carrying activists and some supplies to reach the port.
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Wikipedia