Four historic souks in northern Syria’s Aleppo, heavily damaged during some of the most intense fighting of the 13-year civil war, reopened this week following their restoration.
Four souks in the Old City restored through combined public and private efforts, reopened Wednesday evening — drawing officials, residents, and charity representatives to the celebration.
The revived strip of shops, some reduced to ashes at the start of the conflict, stretches for about 100 meters (330 feet) across the Old City.
In previous years, three other souks of the total of 37 that once surrounded the citadel were restored.
Once famous for its bustling markets and old citadel, Aleppo’s Old City was rendered almost unrecognizable by some of the worst violence in Syria’s conflict between government forces and rebels that began after mass protests in 2011.
The Saqtiya 2 souk was relatively spared the damage that hit other markets, where restoration work is continuing, albeit slowly, due to the country’s economic crisis.
According to UNESCO, as much as 60 percent of Aleppo’s Old City was badly damaged by fighting, and of that 30 percent was destroyed.
