Al-Zaytun (also spelled Zeitoun or Harat az-Zaytoun; Arabic: الزيتون; Arabic translation: "the Quarter of Olive trees"[1]) is the southwestern and largest quarter of Gaza's Old City.[2] Prior to the demolition of the Old City's walls, it was one of the three walled quarters of Gaza's Old City, the other two being al-Tuffah in the northeast and al-Daraj in the northwest. Omar Mukhtar Street, Gaza City's main thoroughfare, separates al-Zaytun from al-Daraj.[3]
The northwestern part of al-Zaytun was known as "Dar al-Khudar" ("the Vegetable House"), which was a small subdivision that contained the open-air vegetable market known as "Suq al-Khudar". In 1525, Dar al-Khudar contained 43 households,[2] while Zaytun, the south eastern part of present Al-Zaytun, had 54 households and 30 bachelors,[4] and Nasara, close to the Church of Saint Porphyrius, had 82 households.[5]
The Christian and Jewish neighborhoods of Gaza were also a part of al-Zaytun. The 5th century Saint Porphryrius Church, belonging to the Greek Orthodox denomination, is located in al-Zaytun and stands alongside the 14th century Kateb al-Welaya Mosque, with only two meters of space in between the former's bell tower and the latter's minaret. Adjacent to the church is the old Christian graveyard.[3] Also located in al-Zaytun is the al-Shamah Mosque.[6]
The last Jewish residents of al-Zaytun were evacuated by the British army following the 1929 Palestine riots.