Gaza

Gaza stands near the Mediterranean at the meeting of the roads from Egypt, Arabia and the Levant. Its oasis and markets made it a place of exchange long before the Roman and Islamic periods, while armies crossing between Egypt and Syria repeatedly sought control of the city. Mosques, churches and caravanserais reflected its long history as a commercial and religious centre at the edge of the desert.

After the Ottoman conquest in 1516, Gaza became the seat of a district governed for much of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries by members of the Ridwan family. Their residence, the Pasha's Palace, stood in the city, and their influence extended across southern Palestine. The Ridwan era brought a period of prosperity to Gaza, though its fortunes declined after the family lost its offices. Caravans carrying merchants and pilgrims continued to pass between Egypt and the cities of Syria, keeping the town connected to the wider region.

In 1799 Napoleon's army occupied Gaza during its advance from Egypt into Palestine. The city surrendered, and the French commander stayed at the Pasha's Palace before marching north towards Jaffa and Acre. His unsuccessful siege of Acre forced a retreat through Gaza later that year, once again bringing an army across the ancient road between Asia and Africa.