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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100317/lf_afp/mideastconflictgazaeconomygold
Gazans Find Luxury in Thriving Gold Bazaar
(AFP) Mai Yaghi - In Gaza City's Qaisariya Market - a 600-year-old covered bazaar largely destroyed by Allied shelling during World War I - the glittering alleys are packed with young brides to be. The market has experienced an unlikely renaissance in recent years as Gaza's Islamist Hamas rulers have championed weddings. "Not only have we not been hurt by the Israeli blockade, but our business has actually gotten better," gold merchant Iyad Basal says as people cram into his crowded family-run shop. "We have not stopped working since the blockade because the gold comes to us through smuggling and Hamas encourages marriage," he adds.