eferring to a network of tunnels that Israel alleges Palestinians have used to smuggle commercial goods into Gaza, as well as weapons to armed groups.
Initially, Kanaan only focused on documenting Gaza’s historic buildings and sites. In recent years, the project has moved towards artefacts as well.
But to do so, the team has needed a three-dimensional printer and camera, which according to al-Sallaq, Israel bans the import of because of restrictions on “dual-use” products – things that can allegedly be used for both civilian and military purposes.
Instead of giving up on the idea, however, al-Sallaq hired a mechatronics specialist to design a 3D printer for the project. “And he succeeded,” she said, explaining that Kanaan can now document smaller objects.
According to Humaid, the project has encouraged people to help protect and restore historical buildings and sites in Gaza.
“A group of artists were inspired by our work and started initiatives to rehabilitate some of the historical buildings we documented,” said Humaid.
Among them is the Al-Kamalia School, established in the heart of the Old City in 1237 to accommodate students of religious knowledge and poor members of the community.
Named after the Ayyubid sultan, Al-Kamil, the school is an important example of the influence that the Ayyubid dynasty – founded by Salahdin and that ruled parts of Egypt, Syria and Iraq during the late 12th and early 13th centuries – had over Gaza.
Bringing together a group of volunteer artists, Abdallah al-Ruzi, 38, helped restore the old school as part of an initiative called Mobaderoon.
“We knew Al-Kamalia School was an historic building, but with the help of Kanaan we were able to identify its exact name and historical significance,” al-Ruzi told Al Jazeera.
Ruzi said while Mobaderoon was keen on restoring other historic sites in Gaza, they were struggling with a lack of funds.
According to Jamal Abu Raida, director general of antiquities at Gaza’s ministry of tourism, the two initiatives have helped support the role of the ministry in restoring and documenting Gaza’s rich heritage.
“Both Kanaan and Mobaderoon compliment our role in raising awareness, locally and abroad, about Gaza’s historic sites,” he said, while complaining the ministry lacked the proper financial resources to do so.
Abu Raida said international funding for Gaza’s historical sites froze after Hamas came to power. He said donors have slowly started to show some support for the ministry’s work in more recent years.
Khaled Safi, professor of history and civilisations at Al-Aqsa University in Gaza, said Kanaan was a much-needed platform.
“Gaza is in need of these kinds of initiatives, especially due to the lack of government consideration for this cultural heritage,” said Safi.
“Gaza heritage needs more than a digital archive and virtual access. The existing archaeological sites need actual protection,” he added. “For decades, we have not seen any government protection nor restoration for archaeological sites and buildings in Gaza.
“I’ve personally witnessed the destruction of some due to lack of awareness,” he said, explaining some were removed as part of construction plans for new commercial buildings.
Still, the past few years have witnessed a growing movement led by a number of history and archaeology professors at Gaza’s universities to protect the enclave’s heritage.
Together with social media activists, the movement has tried to put an end to bulldozing and digging operations around historic areas, including the historic Tel Al-Sakan, which has seen large parts destroyed in recent years.
Despite the challenges, the team behind Kanaan plans to expand the project further, reaching beyond Gaza in to other parts of Palestine.
“Expanding the digital archive to include archaeological and historic sites across cities in the occupied West Bank is the team’s next milestones,” said Humaid.
“We aim to make Kanaan the first digital archive for historical buildings and sites across the whole of Palestine,” she added.