Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a
population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian
territories. Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC, Gaza has been
dominated by several different peoples and empires throughout its history. The Philistines
made it a part of their pentapolis after the Ancient Egyptians had ruled it for
nearly 350 years. Under the Romans and later the Byzantines, Gaza experienced
relative peace and its port flourished. In 635 AD, it became the first city in Palestine
to be conquered by the Rashidun army and quickly developed into a
