Rehabilitation of old markets of Aleppo is progressing rapidly

The rehabilitation work of the Old City of Aleppo, which has been affected by terrorism, continues with rapid steps so as to restore life to it in order to exercise its social and economic role. The rehabilitation work included Khan al-Harir market which is about to be completed, the women’s market near the Umayyad Mosque from the eastern side, and the blacksmiths market on the western side.

Head of the Directorate of the Old City of Aleppo Ahmed al-Shihabi pointed out that the Old City Directorate granted 63 reconstruction licenses to the shopkeepers out of 85 stores, adding that the restoration and rehabilitation works are supervised by specialized engineers from the Directorate of Antiquities and Museums and the Old City of Aleppo. The restoration work includes rebuilding the destroyed storefronts and ceilings.

Al-Shihabi referred to the coordination made with the Aleppo Chamber of Commerce. Merchants and shop owners  have been invited to return to their stores and practice their commercial activity.

Engineer Muhammad Tayseer Habib,  supervisor of the implementation of the restoration project of the Women  and Blacksmith Markets said that the restoration work included uncovering old stones and building on them and using new stones in the destroyed places while preserving the urban identity of the market. The restoration activities are implemented with  local and national expertise where stone arches and ceilings are built with high technical specifications.

Al-Shihabi noted that the restoration work also includes Al-Hatab Square and the surrounding streets in Al-Jadida area, including the implementation of the infrastructure networks of drinking water, electricity and communications, and the installation of basalt tiles and basement floors.

In Khan al-Harir market, which is being restored in cooperation with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, Engineer Basil Al-Zahir, who implemented the project in the northern section, pointed out that the restoration work had witnessed great difficulties due to the widespread sabotage in the market due to terrorism, noting that the construction and restoration work of the stone facades and roofs were carried out in the same old way with taking into consideration preserving  its urban style. .

Eng. Khair al-Din al-Rifai, head of the Central Heritage Committee of the Syrian Engineers Union, underlined the importance of the efforts made to rehabilitate and restore the old city of Aleppo.

A number of shop owners in the Women, Blacksmiths and Khan Al-Harir markets expressed their determination to restore life to the old city of Aleppo and its markets by reopening their stores and practicing their commercial activity anew.

Inas Abdulkareem