Church of Saint Porphyrius

The Greek Orthodox church and tomb of Gaza's patron saint, in continuous use since the twelfth century

The Church of Saint Porphyrius is the Greek Orthodox church of Gaza, standing in the Zaytun Quarter of the Old City and named for the city's fifth-century bishop, whose tomb lies in a side chapel. The current building dates to the twelfth century — making it one of the oldest functioning churches in the world — though it sits on the foundations of a much earlier basilica. The interior is small but rich, with a carved iconostasis and Byzantine icons.

The church served Gaza's small but ancient Christian community, the descendants of believers continuously present in the city since Roman times. It has been a sanctuary in many of Gaza's conflicts. The compound was struck in October 2023 during the Gaza war; the main church survived but a guest hall on the site was destroyed.

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Saint Porphyrius was a fourth-century bishop of Gaza credited, by his biographer Mark the Deacon, with destroying the great pagan temple of Marnas that once stood in the city. The church that bears his name is one of the oldest active churches in the world, with a side chapel containing his tomb. On 19 October 2023 an Israeli airstrike on the church compound, where hundreds of Palestinian Christians and Muslims had taken shelter, killed at least eighteen civilians.