Reports | 25 05 2020
The ongoing airstrikes, and the daily clashes between the Syrian regime and the opposition forces on more than one front has brought mass destruction to the historic sites located in the old quarters of the city of Aleppo. Many ancient, important buildings, bazars, mosques, and churches have been demolished.
Areas Affected
“From the moment the revolution shifted from a peaceful one to an armed one, Aleppo has been continuously bombed and destroyed,” said Ahmad Muhammad, a young man from rural Aleppo, who has recently visited the old quarters in Aleppo.
According to Ahmad, areas that used to attract thousands of tourists to the city, are now completely demolished. In addition to the partial destruction of Aleppo’s citadel gates, many historic sites in the old quarters have been completely destructed, including al-Swaiqa, the Umayyad Mosque, Khan al-Shouna, and the city’s famous, ancient bazar.
“Many of the humanity’s oldest and most beautiful areas are completely destroyed, and the world is watching and not raising a finger. In addition to the sites I mentioned, the destruction has taken many smaller, historic mosques, like al-Sultaniyya mosque,” he added.
The regime’s bombardment and the Russian airstrikes have not spared any part of the old city. They even targeted the Jewish temple in the old city, and destroyed it along with the old houses in the vicinity.
Empty Streets
Since it is located within the borders of the battle lines, the ancient part of the city has lost many houses that are hundreds of years old, and is almost devoid of its people.
“The ancient part of the city of Aleppo contains many historic landmarks, like the citadel, old baths, ancient winding streets, houses, and bazars. These bazars used to attract not only tourists, but also Syrian people from all backgrounds,” said Hassan Hannan, a resident of the old city. Hassan believes that the modern part of the city cannot compare to the beauty of the old city.
Other Reasons Behind the Destruction
Civilians who still live in the old part of the city point out other reasons for the destruction. They blame the regime’s men in the area for stealing antiques, and selling them.
“The Umayyad Mosque is almost completely destroyed. A fire destroyed big parts of the hundreds-of-years-old mosque. We still need to complete a field study in order to estimate the real amount of destruction,” said the archeologist, Hasan Mashhadani. “Almost all of the destroyed historic sites in the city can be repaired and renovated, but this cannot happen right now, because of the ongoing fighting,” he added.
Mashhadani noted that the old part of the city is home to four museums, the most important of which is the Folk Traditions Museum, which contains more than a thousand pieces of traditional clothing, and many ancient Aleppian furniture pieces.
While UNESCO, which includes the ancient city of Aleppo on its list of World Heritage Sites, has expressed its distress and dismay over the destruction of the ancient city, none of the conflict’s fighting parties pays any attention, and the destruction continues.