shown on ceramic, 12-inch tilePalestine

in the Zaytun quarter of the Old City of Gaza

Church of Saint Porphyrius

— a roof that has held for sixteen centuries.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.

— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand

— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines

— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall

— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround

— a note from the studio

“The Greek Orthodox church in the Zaytun quarter of the Old City of Gaza, one of the oldest churches in the world still holding regular services. It is named for Saint Porphyrius, fifth-century bishop of Gaza, whose tomb lies in the northeast corner of the nave. The present sanctuary was rebuilt by the Crusaders in the twelfth century on earlier Byzantine foundations.

from the studio

— bring it home

Church of Saint Porphyrius, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?

One tile — square or rectangle.

How big?

the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand

6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb

Surface finish

A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.

How it sits

A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.

$58

Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.

— size

6 × 6 in

15 cm

— weighs

1.6 lb

solid in the hand

— surface

ceramic, hand-finished

art rests beneath a thin glossy finish

— from

Knoxville, TN

our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies

— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Church of Saint Porphyrius

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.

— the place

The Church of Saint Porphyrius stands in the Zaytun quarter of the Old City of Gaza, Palestine. It belongs to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem and is the only operating Orthodox parish in the Gaza Strip. The present stone sanctuary was rebuilt by the Crusaders in the twelfth century on the foundations of an earlier Byzantine church believed to have been completed around 425 AD, placing it among the oldest churches still in regular liturgical use anywhere in the world. The tomb of Bishop Porphyrius lies in the northeast corner of the nave.

— informed by Wikipedia

— the stone

The building is set in honey-coloured limestone with a low-vaulted nave, three apses at the east end, and walls more than a metre thick at the base. Pointed arches, ribbed vaulting, and the rounded apse forms mark the Crusader rebuild over the older Byzantine plan. A small marble iconostasis separates nave from sanctuary, and a single low bell tower stands above the southwest corner. The compound around the church includes a school, a parish hall, and the small graveyard holding the remains of generations of the Gazan Orthodox community.

— informed by Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem

— the year

The parish observes the Greek Orthodox calendar, with the feast of Saint Porphyrius on February 26 marking the bishop's death in 420 AD. Christmas falls on January 7 by the Julian reckoning, and Pascha follows the Orthodox cycle. Sunday Divine Liturgy is the steady weekly anchor. Through long periods of conflict the church compound has sheltered Christian and Muslim neighbours alike. An Israeli airstrike on the compound on October 19, 2023 killed at least eighteen people taking shelter inside the parish hall, though the sanctuary itself stood.

— informed by Wikipedia

— where

Palestine · Gaza City, Gaza Governorate

— position

31.5042° N · 34.4626° E

— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.

0.3 km W

Great Mosque of Gaza

mosque

Church of Saint Porphyrius

Great Mosque of Gaza

— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Church of Saint Porphyrius — and about bringing the piece home.

— about the place

The current sanctuary was rebuilt by the Crusaders in the twelfth century on the foundations of a Byzantine church completed around 425 AD. That places it among the oldest churches in the world still in regular liturgical use.

Porphyrius was bishop of Gaza from 395 until his death on February 26, 420. He is remembered for the building of the city's first major Christian basilica on the site of an earlier temple to the local god Marnas.

The church belongs to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem and is the only operating Greek Orthodox parish in the Gaza Strip. The local congregation has historically numbered about a thousand Palestinian Orthodox Christians.

The church sits in the Zaytun quarter of the Old City of Gaza, a few streets in from the eastern edge of the historic centre. The compound includes the sanctuary, a school, and a parish hall.

An Israeli airstrike struck the parish hall on the evening of October 19, 2023, killing at least eighteen people sheltering inside, most of them Palestinian Christians and Muslims from the neighbourhood. The sanctuary itself was damaged but stood.

— about the piece in your home

Yes. The church is a touchstone of Palestinian Orthodox identity in Gaza, and the piece reads as a kept place rather than a souvenir. A Small with a written note from the studio carries quietly.

The honey limestone, deep iconostasis golds, and Byzantine blues sit with Mediterranean, Mountain-modern, and warm-traditional interiors. The piece reads well beside icon prints, linen, walnut, and other devotional art.

Yes. Many of our customers place a Keepsake or Small in a home prayer corner alongside icons and a candle. The thin glossy finish is easy to keep clean of soot and dust over time.

A single Large works above a console or in an entry. Above a sofa, a 4-tile Mural carries the scale. A 9-tile Mural gives a chapel-wall presence in a library or study.

A soft microfibre cloth and clean water are enough for routine dusting. Avoid abrasive cleaners. The colour is infused beneath a thin glossy finish, and the surface is washable without polish or wax.

— if this one stayed with you

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