The Rashad Shawa Cultural Center was a cultural center built in 1985, in Rimal, Gaza,

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

. The place was named after its founder Rashad al-Shawa, the city's

Palestinian Palestinians () are an Arab ethnonational group native to the Levantine region of Palestine. *: "Palestine was part of the first wave of conquest following Muhammad's death in 632 CE; Jerusalem fell to the Caliph Umar in 638. The indigenous p ...

mayor who served in office for 11 years. The building was completed 1988,History of a Cultural Center
/ref> opened during the

First Intifada The First Intifada (), also known as the First Palestinian Intifada, was a sustained series of Nonviolent resistance, non-violent protests, acts of civil disobedience, Riot, riots, and Terrorism, terrorist attacks carried out by Palestinians ...

, and destroyed in 2023 during the

Gaza War The Gaza war is an armed conflict in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel fought since 7 October 2023. A part of the unresolved Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Israeli–Palestinian and Gaza–Israel conflict, Gaza–Israel conflicts dating ...

Description and function

The building was two-story tall, with triangular roof. The center had a meeting place, where people meet for celebrations, the Tamari Sabbagh Library, and a stage for films and performances. It was designed by Syrian architect Sa’ad Mohaffel. Mohaffel was influenced by tropical architecture and the proximity to the Mediterranean sea, with the design aligned on a west-east access to naturally ventilate the building, a shaded southern terrace for sun protection, and an open-grid suspended ceiling for air circulation. He chose

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bound together with a fluid cement that cures to a solid over time. It is the second-most-used substance (after water), the most–widely used building material, and the most-manufactur ...

as the primary construction material both for aesthetics and because it was the most affordable material available in Gaza. Mohaffel believed that despite the availability of concrete, builders in Gaza had not had opportunity to learn specialized techniques and their participation in the project would advance craftmanship in the community. Artist Laila Shawa designed the stained glass panels in the large foyer and library.

Events and performances

In September 2009, the cultural center had a three-day festival, that featured training workshops. The workshops were designed for filmmakers to learn from the films exhibited. The stage hosted performances from Mohammed Assad, Reem Talhami, and other notable Palestinian musicians. International leaders, including South African President

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela ( , ; born Rolihlahla Mandela; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist and politician who served as the first president of South Africa f ...

, French President

Jacques Chirac Jacques René Chirac (, ; ; 29 November 193226 September 2019) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He was previously Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and 1986 to 1988, as well as Mayor of Pari ...

, and U.S. President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

delivered speeches at the venue. In the 1990s, the venue was the site of

Oslo peace process The Oslo Accords are a pair of interim agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO): the Oslo I Accord, signed in Washington, D.C., in 1993; and the Oslo II Accord, signed in Taba, Egypt, in 1995. They marked the ...

discussions between

Yasser Arafat Yasser Arafat (4 or 24 August 1929 – 11 November 2004), also popularly known by his Kunya (Arabic), kunya Abu Ammar, was a Palestinian political leader. He was chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) from 1969 to 2004, Presid ...

and Bill Clinton.

Destruction

During a brief truce in November 2023 during the

Gaza war The Gaza war is an armed conflict in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel fought since 7 October 2023. A part of the unresolved Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Israeli–Palestinian and Gaza–Israel conflict, Gaza–Israel conflicts dating ...

, it was found that Rashad Shawa Cultural Center had been reduced to rubble. Gaza City Municipality told reporters that Israeli forces intentionally targeted landmarks for destruction.

References

External links

Centre culturel Rashad al-Shawwa
(in French), part of Gaza, inventaire d’un patrimoine bombardé {{coord, display=title 1985 establishments in Palestine 2023 disestablishments in Palestine Cultural centers in Asia Buildings and structures in Gaza City Rimal Event venues in Palestine Buildings and structures destroyed during the Israel–Hamas war Buildings and structures demolished in 2023