Editing Gaza City (section)

=== Cultural centers and museums ===
[[File:مكتبة جواهر لال نهرو - جامعة الأزهر.jpg|thumb|right|Nehru Library and Cultural Center at Gaza's [[Al-Azhar University – Gaza|Al-Azhar University]] ]]
The [[Rashad Shawa Cultural Center]], located in [[Rimal]], was completed in 1988 and named after its founder, former mayor [[Rashad al-Shawa]].<ref name="RSCC">[https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ar&u=http://www.mogaza.org/&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3DGaza%2BMunicipality%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26hs%3DE5j%26pwst%3D1 Rashad Shawa Cultural Center] Gaza Municipality.</ref> A two-story building with a triangular plan, the cultural centers performs three main functions: a meeting place for large gatherings during annual festivals, a place to stage exhibitions, and a library.<ref name="ADL">[http://www.archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.jsp?site_id=1013 Rashad Shawa Cultural Center] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090802011556/http://www.archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.jsp?site_id=1013 |date=2009-08-02 }} Archnet Digital Library.</ref> The French Cultural Center is a symbol of French partnership and cooperation in Gaza. It holds art exhibits, concerts, film screenings, and other activities. Whenever possible, French artists are invited to display their artwork, and more frequently, Palestinian artists from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank are invited to participate in art competitions.<ref>Abdel-Shafi, Sami. [http://imeu.net/news/article007595.shtml Promoting culture and hope in Gaza] [[Institute for Middle East Understanding]] republishing of ''This Week in Palestine''.  {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130824001616/http://imeu.net/news/article007595.shtml |date=August 24, 2013 }}</ref>

Established in 1998, the Arts and Crafts Village is a children's cultural center with the objectives of promoting comprehensive, regular and periodic documentation of creative art. It interacted on a large scale with a class of artists from different nationalities and organized around 100 exhibitions for creative art, ceramics, graphics, carvings and others. Nearly 10,000 children from throughout the Gaza Strip have benefited from the Arts and Crafts Village.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thisweekinpalestine.com/details.php?id=1888&ed=130&edid=130|title=Arts and Crafts Village|publisher=This Week in Palestine|first=Amelia|last=Thomas|date=September 2006|access-date=2009-02-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720234837/http://www.thisweekinpalestine.com/details.php?id=1888&ed=130&edid=130|archive-date=2011-07-20|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The Gaza Theater, financed by contributions from Norway, opened in 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/programs/morning/transcripts/2004/feb/040210.kenyon.html|title=Analasis: New Cinema Opening up in Gaza City|publisher=NPR|first=Bob|last=Edwards|date=2004-02-14|access-date=2009-02-16}}</ref> The theater does not receive much funding from the PNA, depending mostly on donations from foreign aid agencies. The [[A. M. Qattan Foundation]], a [[Palestinian art]]s charity, runs several workshops in Gaza to develop young artistic talent and impart drama skills to teachers. The Gaza Theater Festival was inaugurated in 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0722/p11s02-wome.html|title=Theater thrives in Gaza, despite restrictions|work=The Christian Science Monitor|first=Amelia|last=Thomas|date=2005-01-22|access-date=2009-02-16}}</ref>

The [[Gaza Museum of Archaeology]] opened in the summer of 2008. The museum collection features thousands of items, including a statue of a full-breasted [[Aphrodite]] in a diaphanous gown, images of other ancient deities and oil lamps featuring menorahs.<ref>Bronner, Ethan. [https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/25/world/middleeast/25gaza.html?_r=3&scp=2&sq=archaeology&st=cse&oref=slogin Museum Offers Gray Gaza a View of Its Dazzling Past]. ''[[New York Times]]'', 2008-07-25.</ref>