Photos: Gaza before and after – a city transformed by war

Archive and recent photos show how three years of war left Gaza’s streets, landmarks and public spaces unrecognisable. Gaza's historic landmarks have been reduced to rubble, altering the city's landscape and erasing generations of memories. [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]Gaza City – More than 80 percent of Gaza’s buildings have been damaged or destroyed since Israel launched its war on the besieged enclave in October 2023, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, turning whole neighbourhoods into rubble and wiping out much of its infrastructure. For generations, Gaza’s streets, markets, schools, hospitals and public spaces formed the backdrop to everyday life. They were places where people worked, studied, shopped, met friends and family, and built memories. Many of the city’s familiar landmarks also carried a much longer history, reflecting Gaza’s thousands of years as a crossroads of different civilisations. The war has also changed the face of Gaza by damaging or destroying many of those historic and recognisable landmarks. UNESCO has verified damage to 164 cultural sites since October 2023, including 128 buildings of historical or artistic interest, 14 religious sites, nine monuments, eight archaeological sites, two museums and three depositories of movable cultural property. Among them are the Great Omari Mosque, Gaza’s oldest mosque, Qasr al-Basha, the ancient Samaritan Bathhouse, al-Qissariya Market and the Church of Saint Porphyrius complex. Some of these places have been reduced to ruins, while others remain standing but heavily damaged. The destruction has altered not only individual buildings but the streets and neighbourhoods around them, removing landmarks that once helped people recognise and navigate their city. This photo series contrasts archive images of some of Gaza’s most recognisable streets, markets and public buildings with new photographs taken three years into the war, showing how these familiar places have changed after years of bombardment and destruction. Gaza's port has long been a central part of life along the city's coast, serving as a base for local fishermen and a familiar gathering place for residents. After three years of war, the port and its surrounding coastline have been heavily damaged, with thousands of displaced families now sheltering in tents across the port area. [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]Al-Rashid Street, Gaza's main coastal road, stretches along the Mediterranean and was once a popular destination lined with cafes, restaurants, shops and hotels. After three years of war, much of the area has been damaged or destroyed, with tents now filling parts of the coastline. [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]Rashad al-Shawwa Cultural Centre in Gaza City's Remal neighbourhood was a landmark cultural venue, hosting exhibitions, conferences and public events. Three years of war have left the centre heavily damaged, with parts of the building destroyed and the surrounding area in ruins. [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]Qasr al-Basha, a 13th-century Mamluk palace in Gaza's Old City, was restored and turned into an archaeological museum in 2010. Once one of Gaza's best-preserved historic landmarks, the palace has been heavily damaged after three years of war. [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]Al-Hasayna Mosque, also known as al-Mina Mosque, stood beside Gaza's port and was inaugurated in 2017, becoming a familiar landmark on the city's shoreline. The mosque was completely destroyed in November 2023. [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]The Islamic University of Gaza, established in 1978, was one of Gaza's main centres of higher education, with a large campus in Gaza City's Remal neighbourhood. After three years of war, much of the university has been destroyed, while what remains of the campus has been turned into a tent shelter for displaced Palestinians. [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]Gaza's port was once a gathering place for fishermen and residents, with boats and cafes along the Mediterranean. The war destroyed or damaged many fishing boats, turning the port into a crowded shelter for displaced Palestinians. [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]The Great Omari Mosque in Gaza's Old City is the largest and oldest mosque in the Gaza Strip, with a history dating back centuries and layers of Byzantine, Crusader, Mamluk and Ottoman architecture. After being heavily damaged in December 2023, much of the mosque now lies in ruins, including its historic minaret. [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]Yarmouk Stadium in Gaza City, opened in 1952, was one of Palestine's oldest and largest football stadiums and a major venue for sporting and public events. After three years of war, the stadium has been taken out of use and turned into a shelter for displaced Palestinians. [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]Sheikh Radwan Pond in Gaza City was built in 2000 to collect rainwater, with a capacity of about 500,000 cubic metres. In September 2026, the Palestinian Water Authority said sewage had entered the pond after its drainage system was damaged, while the surrounding area was almost completely destroyed. [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]Al-Rashid Street runs nearly 45km along Gaza's Mediterranean coast, connecting the north and south. Rebuilt in 2015, it was lined with hotels, restaurants, cafes and other vital businesses. After three years of war, parts of the road and surrounding areas have been severely damaged. [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera]