Centuries-old bazaar in Syria’s Aleppo making slow recovery

Syrians preparing merchandise to be sold during the opening of Aleppo’s historic souk in 2017. (File/AFP)

Syrian workers work on the newly renovated Al-Saqatiyah Market in the old city of Aleppo, Syria, in 2019. (AP)

Old bazaar in Aleppon in March 2017, before renovations. (File/AFP)

• Al-Saqatiyah Market is the latest one to undergo renovations
• The war in Syria left the eastern half of Aleppo and the Old City in ruins

ALEPPO: Much of the centuries-old covered bazaar in the Syrian city of Aleppo is still in ruins, but slowly small parts of it have been renovated.
The latest to be renovated is Al-Saqatiyah Market, or souk — a cobblestone alley under arches and domes.
Still, bringing customers back to what was once a thronging marketplace remains a struggle.
Aleppo’s historic Old City saw some of the worst battles of Syria’s eight-year civil war. Government forces wrested it from rebel control in December 2016 in a devastating siege that left the eastern half of Aleppo and much of the Old City — a UNESCO world heritage site — in ruins.
Planners hope that by rebuilding segments of the bazaar and getting some shops back open, eventually they re-inject life into the markets.