Project Team
Prof. Yuval Ben-Bassat
University of Haifa
Department of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies
yuval[at]research.haifa.ac.il
Prof. Johann Buessow
University of Bochum
Department of Oriental and Islamic Studies
johann.buessow[at]rub.de
Marwa Alkhatib, B.A.
University of Haifa
Department of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies
marwakh.101[a]gmail.com
Vered Andre'ev, B.A.
University of Haifa
Department of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies
vered.andre[a]gmail.com
Adrian Bernhard, B.A.
University of Bochum
Department of Oriental and Islamic Studies
adrian.bernhard[at]rub.de
Dr. Sarah Buessow
University of Bochum
Centre for Mediterranean Studies
sarah.buessow[at]rub.de
Ferhat Demirel, M.A.
University of Tuebingen
Department of Oriental and Islamic Studies
ferhatdemirel[a]gmx.de
Dr. Michael Derntl
University of Tuebingen
eScience-Center
michael.derntl[at]uni-tuebingen.de
Ahmad Fahoum, B.A.
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Department of Middle Eastern History
ahmad.fahoum[a]mail.huji.ac.il
Dotan Halevy, M.A.
Columbia University
Department of History
dotanhalevy[a]gmail.com
Mustafa R. Hamdan, B.A.
University of Haifa
Department of Middle Eastern History
mostafah271[a]gmail.com
Petra Nendwich, M.A.
University of Tuebingen
Department of Oriental and Islamic Studies
nendwich.petra[a]gmail.com
Yami Roth, B.A.
University of Haifa
Department of Middle Eastern History
yamiroth5[a]gmail.com
Dr. Dieta-Frauke Svoboda
University of Tuebingen
eScience Center
dieta-frauke.svoboda[at]uni-tuebingen.de
Taner Ulupinar, B.A.
University of Tuebingen
Department of Oriental and Islamic Studies
tanerulupinar[at]hotmail.com
Dr. Muharrem Varol
Historian of the Ottoman Empire
muharrem.varol79@gmail.com
Project Methodology
Our research is based on an analysis of the 3,000 households tabulated in Gaza during the Ottoman census of 1905, the only complete census carried out before the First World War. The full analysis of this census was uploaded to a database we created which allows us to run a variety of statistics on the population of Gaza such as household size, residents' occupations, religion, place of birth, etc.
At the same time we use the database to glean information on specific individuals from sources including Ottoman documents, shariʿa court records, newspapers, diaries, memoirs and pictures.
We attempt to insert this information whenever possible on a series of maps and aerial photos of Gaza produced between the 1880s and 1940s. These maps are presented in the form of GIS layers which can be added or removed depending on the need.
In addition, we use state-of-the-art technology to generate diagrams depicting social networks in Gaza. For example, we can link signatures on mass petitions submitted to Istanbul to other items in the database to determine who was connected to whom in the Gaza, the place of residence of the individuals who signed the petitions, and spatial divisions in the city’s population.