Culture Minister visits Aleppo to inspect the restoration works in Aleppo Citadel and the National Library

Minister of Culture Lubana Mushaweh on Sunday inspected the restoration works for the entrance of Aleppo Citadel and several parts of the Aleppo National Library, including the reading, archiving and meeting halls which all were damaged as a result of the earthquake that struck Syria last year.

Aleppo has always been a home for culture, arts, writers, artists and architecture, Mushaweh told SANA, pointing out that Aleppo Citadel is a great archaeological monument that is ready to open its doors to visitors, tourists and cultural events.

Mushaweh clarified that all the rehabilitation and restoration works were carried out by national teams of archaeologists, experts, academics and workers.

For his part, Director of Aleppo Antiquities and Museums Sakher Olabi explained that the rehabilitation and restoration works at the main entrance to Aleppo Citadel included the facade, ceilings, and places that posed danger on publuc safety after being damaged in the earthquake.

He added that the work is still underway to restore and rehabilitate the bridge that carried on columns, and the Ayyubid Mosque and its minaret inside the citadel.

Moreover, head of the Technical Department in the Directorate of Culture Khaldoun Askif, supervisor of the restoration and rehabilitation works in the National Library, said that the walls and halls of the library were affected by the earthquake, and restoration works included rebuilding the demolished walls, the external facade, sanitary and technical works, and rehabilitating the reading, meeting and archive halls.

Hamda Mustafa