Eng. Ahmed Shamia is one of the most prominent Palestinian academics and architects who dedicated his scientific and professional career to serving architecture and humanity in the Gaza Strip. He worked as a professor in the Department of Architecture at the Islamic University of Gaza and also served as the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, where he contributed to the training of generations of engineers and architects. He was known for his academic and leadership role in developing engineering education and promoting creative and humanistic architectural thought.
Eng. Ahmed Shamia was distinguished by his profound architectural vision, which combined aesthetic, humanistic, and sustainable dimensions. He believed in the importance of building resilient cities capable of meeting environmental and human needs under the difficult conditions in the Gaza Strip. He once described himself as “an architect in a homeland where architecture no longer exists,” referring to the widespread destruction of Gaza’s urban infrastructure. Despite this, he continued to dream of rebuilding cities that were more supportive of life and more capable of adapting and resilient.
In addition to his academic work, Eng. Ahmed Shamia, an artist and architect, was a recipient of the French PAUSE program, which supports researchers and artists at risk. He was slated to be hosted at the two national schools of architecture in Paris to continue his research and architectural work, in recognition of his talent and humanistic vision in architecture.
On May 13, 2025, Ahmed Shamia was martyred from critical injuries sustained when Israeli occupation forces targeted a popular market and the adjacent Thai restaurant on Al-Wahda Street in Gaza City without prior warning. He succumbed to his injuries several days later.
