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Rimal or Remal ( ar, حي الرمال, , sands) is an upscale neighborhood in
Gaza City Gaza (;''The New Oxford Dictionary of English'' (1998), , p. 761 "Gaza Strip /'gɑːzə/ a strip of territory in Palestine, on the SE Mediterranean coast including the town of Gaza...". ar, غَزَّة ', ), also referred to as Gaza City, i ...
located from the city center. Situated along the coastline, it has been considered the most prosperous neighborhood of Gaza.Jacobs, 1998, p.455. The main street that runs through Gaza,
Omar Mukhtar Street Omar Mukhtar Street ( ar, شارع عمر المختار) is the main street of Gaza City, in the State of Palestine, running from Palestine Square to the Port of Gaza in the Rimal district, separating the Old City's al-Daraj and Zaytoun quarters. ...
runs northwest–southeast in the district and the main coastal road, Ahmad Orabi/Rasheed Street northeast-southwest. Rimal is currently divided into the city districts of Southern Rimal and Northern Rimal.


History

Rimal was built on the ancient port city of Gaza called '' Maioumas''. The intense rivalry between Christian Gaza and
Pagan Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...
Maioumas continued throughout the
Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
era, even after the population of Maioumas had been converted to Christianity by Imperial decree and the Pagan sanctuaries destroyed by
Porphyry of Gaza Saint Porphyrius ( la, Porphyrius; grc-gre, Πορφύριος, ''Porphyrios''; Slavonic: Порфирий, ''Porfiriy''; –420) was bishop of Gaza from 395 to 420, known, from the account in his ''Life'', for Christianizing the recalcitrant p ...
. The coastline of Gaza consisted mostly of sand dunes around the bustling
Port of Gaza The Port of Gaza is a small port near the Rimal district of Gaza City. It is the home port of Palestinian fishing-boats and the base of the Palestinian Naval Police, a branch of the Palestinian National Security Forces. Under the Oslo II Accord, ...
up until the mid-20th century. In the 1930s and 1940s, foreign missionary institutions financed the establishment of a residential neighborhood along the coast. This new district became known as ''Rimal'' ("Sand" or "Beach") and today covers most of Gaza City's coastline and much of the area between the coastline and the
Old City Old City often refers to old town, the historic or original core of a city or town. Old City may refer to several places: Historical cities or regions of cities ''(by country)'' *Old City (Baku), Azerbaijan * Old City (Dhaka), Bangladesh, also ca ...
. Most of the buildings were detached houses built in European style. After the neighborhood's construction, the center of commercial activity shifted from the Old City to Rimal. Stores in this posh
The ROOTS Club," July 3, 2010, This Week in Palestine.
neighborhood stock upmarket goods including facial scrubs, skin-whitening sunscreen, frozen seafood, and low-fat yogurt.
Israel's Gaza Blockade Baffles Both Sides," May 28, 2010, CBS News.
Residents shop at the
Gaza Mall The Gaza Mall is a shopping mall that opened in Gaza, State of Palestine, in July 2010. The shopping venue in the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza extends over 19,000 sq. ft. There are two floors with shops offering international brands.
and dine at the upscale
Roots Club Roots Club was an upscale restaurant and catering hall in Gaza. In 2010, restaurant reviewers expected the restaurant to bring "a new era of hospitality and dining experience" to Gazans. The club was located on Cairo Street in the Gaza district o ...
restaurant."1st Gaza mall attracts thousands; Despite siege, new shopping center in Strip opened its doors last Saturday to enthusiastic crowds, offering international brands, much-needed air-conditioning. Mall's manager promises affordable prices tailored for local residents"
Ali Waked, 07.20.10,
Ynet Ynet (stylized as ynet) is one of the major Israeli news and general-content websites, and is the online outlet for the '' Yedioth Ahronot'' newspaper. However, most of Ynet's content is original work, published exclusively on the website and wri ...
.


Fatah–Hamas conflict

During the
Fatah–Hamas conflict The Fatah–Hamas conflict ( ar, النزاع بين فتح وحماس ''an-Nizāʿ bayna Fataḥ wa-Ḥamās'') is an ongoing political and strategic conflict between Fatah and Hamas, the two main Palestinian political parties in the Palestinia ...
of 2006–2007, unidentified gunmen killed three sons, ages 3 to 9, of Baha Balousha, an intelligence officer with Fatah in the upscale Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City in a
drive-by shooting A drive-by shooting is a type of assault that usually involves the perpetrator(s) firing a weapon from within a motor vehicle and then fleeing. Drive-by shootings allow the perpetrator(s) to quickly strike their target and flee the scene before ...
. One of Balousha's bodyguards was also killed.''"Prominent Hamas Rebel Is Killed as Palestinians Renew Infighting"''
The New York Times


Landmarks

Rimal contains the Palestinian Presidential Palace, the Governor's Palace, the Gaza Mall, the Roots Club, the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
beach club, the
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR, ar, المركز الفلسطيني لحقوق الإنسان) is a Palestinian people, Palestinian human rights organization based in Gaza City. It was founded in 1995 by Raji Sourani, who is its d ...
, the main
al-Shifa Hospital Al-Shifa Hospital ( ar, مستشفى الشفاء ''Mustashfa al-Shifa''), properly known as Dar Al-Shifa Hospital ( ar, مستشفى دار الشفاء ''Mustashfat dar al-Shifa'') is the largest medical complex and central hospital in the Gaza S ...
, the
Palestinian Legislative Council The Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) is the unicameral legislature of the Palestinian Authority, elected by the Palestinian residents of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It currently comprises 132 members, e ...
, and a number of foreign government offices, four hotels, and all of the city's well-known restaurants.Sheehan, 2000, p.428. The Midan Jundi (Soldier's Square), dedicated to an indigenous Arab soldier who died fighting in the
1948 Arab-Israeli War Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect. ** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...
, is located in Rimal along with the
Palestine Liberation Organization The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO; ar, منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية, ') is a Palestinian nationalism, Palestinian nationalist political and militant organization founded in 1964 with the initial purpose of establ ...
flag shop. The port of Gaza is in the Rimal district and home to the Palestinian Naval Police force.Rimal is the lone elite district of the city. For millennia, until shortly after World War I, it was a crowded port, a shipping point along trade roads Dick Doughty, Mohammed El Aydi (1995) Gaza: legacy of occupation--a photographer's journey Kumarian Press, p 13BBC
/ref>


People from Rimal

*
Mahmoud al-Zahar Mahmoud al-Zahar ( ar, محمود الزهار ') (born 6 May 1945) is a Palestinian politician. He is a co-founder of Hamas and a member of the Hamas leadership in the Gaza Strip. Al-Zahar served as foreign minister in the Hamas-dominated Pa ...


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * {{Gaza City Populated places established in the 1930s Neighborhoods of Gaza City