People walk through the reopened Khan al-Harir Souk in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, Aug. 29, 2021. (Credit: AFP)
Four souks in Aleppo’s Old City, damaged by war, have reopened following extensive restoration, an AFP photographer reported.
Designated a World Heritage Site in Danger by UNESCO in 2018, Aleppo’s Old City was a major frontline in the conflict between government forces and rebel factions from 2012 to 2016. Government forces, backed by Moscow, recaptured the city, one of the oldest in the world.
Following restoration by private and state-sponsored institutions, four souks in Aleppo’s Old City reopened Wednesday evening. The reopening was attended by officials, residents, and NGO representatives. Before the conflict, the Old City drew thousands of traders and tourists. Three other restored souks had recently reopened out of a total of 37 around the Aleppo Citadel. The shops span about 100 meters in the Old City, where many historical landmarks were reduced to ashes at the conflict’s outset.
In Souk Saqtiya 2, Omar al-Rawwas, 45, has reopened his carpet shop after years of closure. “When I returned to the shop ..., I felt like I had gone back 35 years, as if the place had found its soul,” he told AFP. Rawwas noted that his situation was improving with the return of customers who had fled abroad during the war. “When they come back home, they find their carpets infested with moths and decide to restore them.”
'We will rebuild Aleppo with our own hands'
Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city and economic capital before the war, was renowned for its covered market, the largest in the world with 4,000 stalls and 40 caravanserais.
UNESCO reports that about 60% of this market was severely damaged and nearly 30% completely destroyed during the war.
The Syrian army regained control of Aleppo after a prolonged siege and heavy bombardment, followed by the evacuation of tens of thousands of opposition fighters and civilians. Souk Saqtiya 2 was relatively spared compared to other markets, where restoration work continues slowly due to the economic crisis.
“We will rebuild the city with our own hands ... and it will come back even more beautiful,” says Abdallah Shawwa, a 49-year-old seller of the famous Aleppo soaps.
The war in Syria began after the crackdown on anti-government protests in 2011 and has resulted in more than 500,000 deaths and millions of displaced people.
This article originally appeared in French AFP.
