In the wake of the genocide in Gaza, the continuous occupation of the Palestinian lands, and the violent targeting of Palestinian bodies, cities, cultural centers, archives, and landscapes and heritage sites by the Israeli Zionist state, we are witnessing a systematic campaign aimed at erasing Palestinian history, memory, identity, and heritage. For Palestinians, heritage transcends buildings, landmarks, or monuments; it is a complex weave of material and immaterial culture that anchors Palestinians to their homeland and shared history and cultivates possibilities for a future sovereign Palestine. By preserving historical buildings, renovating community spaces, and protecting cultural landmarks, Palestinians assert their continuous presence on the land, grounding themselves and future generations in it. This issue aims to center Palestine and Palestinian voices as they engage with questions of heritage, memory, and reconstruction. The issue focuses on heritage and conservation in Palestine as avenues for resistance, markers of resilience, and a practice of sumud—steadfastness—against the erasure of Palestinian presence.

O B L / Q U E / 6

palestine: resilience, resistance, and sumoud

Edited by Rana Abughannam and Natalia Escobar Castrillón

Assistant Editor: Faris Itum

INTRODUCTION

Rana Abughannam

Voices from Palestine

MEMORY

Dima Srouji

Vertical Shelters

Nadi Abusaada

Standing Before the Ruins

PRAXIS

Nuha Dandis

Preserving Living Heritage: Challenges and Successes in Reviving Hebron’s Old City

Amal Abualhawa

The Old City of Jerusalem: A Living Heritage Under Threat and the Urgent Need to Strengthen Local Resilience

Aya Tahhan

Restoring Geography & Stone: The Rehabilitation of Qalandiya Historic Center / Rural Jerusalem

Mahmoud Al Balawi

Gaza, the Phoenix:  Always Rising from Beneath the Rubble

Issam Juha & Luma Qumsieh Khoury

Centre for Cultural Heritage Preservation: Efforts for the Protection of Cultural Heritage in Gaza during War

SELF DETERMINATION

Sandi Hilal

Vitrine in the Rubble

Faiq Mari

Reconstruction in Gaza and Beyond: Notes from the Outside

Alessandra Gola & Abdalrahman Kittana

Turquoise Bio Farm: A Living Tactic for Urban Resilience in Nablus