by Hummam Sheikh Ali
ALEPPO, Syria, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Abdul Qader al-Qusaib, who owns a roastery in Aleppo's Old City, remembers a time when the souks bustled with merchants and customers, and the sounds of trade filled the narrow passageways.
The hustle and bustle came to an abrupt end when fighting engulfed the historic marketplace in northern Syria. Shops were damaged or shuttered, commercial activity ground to a halt, and merchants lost not only their workplaces but also the livelihoods they had built over the years.
When restoration began, al-Qusaib closely followed the work and witnessed the changes firsthand.
Initially, some shopkeepers were reluctant to reopen while nearby markets remained damaged and customer numbers were low.
Gradually, the situation began to change. As more sections were restored, merchants reopened their shops, customers returned and the once-disconnected markets began functioning again. Al-Qusaib eventually reopened his own shop.
Al-Qusaib's return reflects a broader revival taking place across the historic marketplace.
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1986, Aleppo's historic souks had long been a vibrant trading hub along the Silk Road. Once the largest covered market in the world, the 13-km labyrinth through the old city was devastated during some of the fiercest fighting of Syria's civil war.
A massive fire in 2012 swept through large sections of the souks, destroying hundreds of shops and damaging centuries-old structures. Shelling and fighting between 2012 and 2016 further devastated the area, forcing traders to abandon shops passed down for generations.
In 2017, restoration projects began reconnecting parts of the marketplace after the fighting subsided. Rehabilitation has been completed in several markets, including Souk al-Hibal, while work has continued in other sections of the old city.
Yet those involved in the recovery say preserving the markets requires more than reconstructing their historic appearance.
Firas Qasmo, involved in the old city's rehabilitation efforts, stressed the importance of bringing economic activity back alongside physical restoration, including supporting traditional trades and creating opportunities for younger generations.
For Osama Rostom, who runs a handicrafts and art shop in Souk al-Hibal, this means bringing life back to the souks and repairing their historic structures.
Having witnessed the market's destruction and rehabilitation, Rostom remembers how wartime damage left parts of the historic commercial district empty and disrupted trades associated with its specialized souks for generations.
Rostom reopened his shop in 2023 and gradually saw other businesses follow. As more shopkeepers returned, visitors began walking through the restored lanes again, bringing activity back to streets that had once stood largely deserted.
For Rostom, the recovery means more than just revenue.
He said that Aleppo's traditional markets are not simply collections of historic buildings. Their identity is closely connected to the crafts, skills and commercial practices passed down through generations.
Therefore, the reopening of neighboring souks has become an important part of his own business's recovery, drawing more visitors into the wider commercial district and improving the prospects of merchants who have already returned, he added.
In the old city, physical reconstruction and economic recovery are closely linked: restored streets allow shops to reopen, returning merchants help attract customers, and growing commercial activity encourages more shopkeepers to return.
"We hope everything will come back, but little by little, as the rest of the markets are restored," al-Qusaib said.
