Ottoman-era restaurant seeks Gaza tourism

GAZA CITY, Palestine

An Ottoman-era building in Gaza City has been turned into a restaurant in a bid to lure tourists to the blockaded Palestinian enclave.

“Bait Sitty is located inside one of the most significant historical buildings in Gaza,” Atef Salamah, the restaurant owner, told state-run Anadolu Agency.

“The 430-year-old building was built according to Ottoman Islamic architecture,” he said.

The two-story restaurant was opened this week in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in southern Gaza City.

It has eight rooms, an open courtyard and a water fountain, all in Ottoman architectural styles.

“This is the first restaurant in Gaza that has been built in an ancient place dating back hundreds of years,” Salamah said.

He went on to call on Palestinian authorities to preserve historical sites in the Gaza Strip.

The Gaza Strip has some 134 historical buildings, according to the Palestinian Tourism Ministry.