Staff members of the Mayasem Association for Culture and Arts repair and scientifically restore artifacts in a tent in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on July 11. BASHAR TALEB/AFP
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Armed with paintbrushes and wearing surgical gloves, volunteers inside a large tent in Gaza delicately brushed dust from a stone mosaic before placing it into storage, part of an effort to preserve cultural heritage hit by conflict.
More than 160 historical and cultural sites across the Palestinian territory have been damaged during the Palestine-Israel conflict, according to the United Nations.
Many of these artifacts date back thousands of years.
"Several mosaic artworks have been lost or destroyed, either completely or partially," said Mohammed Abu Lahia, a Palestinian visual artist taking part in the preservation efforts in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.
