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Souk al-Saqatiyya Rehabilitation Project

Aleppo, Syria

2018 - 2019

Cultural HeritagePilot ProjectPost-conflict ReconstructionSouk

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Project Description

Approach Words: City Identity, Heritage Preservation, Urban Livability

Public Policy Instruments: Organization, Physical Intervention, Planning

The Souk al-Saqatiyya rehabilitation project is a post-war rehabilitation project in Aleppo, Syria¹. As a pilot project within the Aga Khan Trust for Culture’s (AKTC) broader initiativeⁱⁱ to rehabilitate the historic central Souk in the Old City² ⁱ, it stands as the first completed project in Aleppo’s post-war rehabilitation process³.

Dating back to the Mamluk and Ottoman periods, Souk al-Saqatiyya is a historical alley stretching along a length of 150 meters and consisting of 52 shops⁴. Souk al-Saqatiyya was renowned for its unique architectural and cultural value and central position within the central souk of Aleppo⁵. Despite sustaining considerable damage during the war, most of its structure remained intact.

Title: Souk al-Saqatiyya’s location (red line) within Aleppo

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Title: Souk al-Saqatiyya after renovation

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Title: Souk al-Saqatiyya before renovation

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Title: Souk al-Saqatiyya after renovation

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Title: Souk al-Saqatiyya’s location (red line) within Aleppo

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Title: Souk al-Saqatiyya after renovation

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Title: Souk al-Saqatiyya before renovation

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Title: Souk al-Saqatiyya after renovation

Source: Click Here

The post-war rehabilitation project addresses various social and engineering challenges related to the Souq:

Establishing ownership and previous use rights⁶;
Re-establishing the integrity of partially damaged roofs and vaults, while respecting the heritage regulations in this UNESCO World Heritage Site⁷. Here, the restoration/ reconstruction involved the conservation of the souk’s structure, including the vaulted roof and central passageway⁸;
Rehabilitation of 3 selected shops, showcasing possible finishing styles⁹.

Moreover, the project’s goal extends beyond physical restoration; it aims to create a critical mass within the central Souk that will stimulate public and private initiatives in other areas of the Souk, which is vital for the social and economic revival of the city¹⁰.

Owner/Developer (Public)

Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums (DGAM) ¹⁷

Owner/Developer

Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) ¹⁸

Consultant/Designer

Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) ¹⁹

Dar Architects ²⁰

Funder

Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) ²¹

Contractor/Implementer

Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC)²²

Owner/Developer (Public)

Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums (DGAM) ¹⁷

Owner/Developer

Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) ¹⁸

Contractor/Implementer

Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC)²²

Funder

Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) ²¹

Consultant/Designer

Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) ¹⁹

Dar Architects ²⁰

The project was implemented through three key phases:

Pre-Construction Phase [2016-2018]: Initial surveys to establish baselines for rehabilitation, which led to the selection of Souk al-Saqatiyya as a pilot project ¹¹.
Construction Phase [2018-2019]: The work on Souk al-Saqatiyya lasted eight months and was completed in July 2019. Post-construction, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in Syria developed a ‘Specifications Booklet’ for future rehabilitation projects within the souks.
Post-construction [2019-ongoing]: Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 crisis in 2020, AKTC expanded the project to include the rehabilitation of connecting arteries ¹².

The project was initiated in late 2018 by the AKTC following the selection of Souk al-Saqatiyya as a pilot case in AKTC’s broader initiative to rehabilitate Aleppo’s central Souk¹³. Work was carried out in collaboration with UNESCO, the Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums (DGAM), the Governorate and Aleppo City Council, and the Syrian Trust for Development¹⁴. The design was done in collaboration with Syrian studio Dar Architects, with a budget of $400,000 ^15/sup>. In November 2020, the Souk al-Saqatiyya project was awarded with the ICCROM-Sharjah Award for Best Practice in Cultural Heritage Conservation and Management in the Arab region¹⁶.

Project Link, Endnotes and References

Project Link

https://the.akdn/en/where-we-work/middle-east/syria/cultural-development-syria

Endnotes

ⁱ Located at the heart of Aleppo’s Old City, between the Citadel of Aleppo and the Antakya Gate, the souk spans approximately 14 kilometers of alleys on a surface area of 16 hectares. The largest medieval souk in the Middle East, Aleppo Souk was included in the UNESCO World Heritage listing in 1986.
ⁱⁱ More information about the Aga Khan Trust for Culture’s (AKTC) work on the historic central Souk in the Old City is available in this link: https://the.akdn/en/where-we-work/middle-east/syria/cultural-development-syria (accessed on 11 December 2023).

References

Aga Khan Trust for Culture receives ICCROM-Sharjah Award for Best Practice in Conservation of Islamic Heritage. (2023b). Aga Khan Development Network. Retrieved November 17, 2023, from https://the.akdn/en/resources-media/whats-new/news-release/aga-khan-trust-culture-receives-iccrom-sharjah-award-best-practice-conservation
Aga Khan Trust for Culture receives ICCROM-Sharjah Award for Best Practice in Conservation of Islamic Heritage. (2023b). Aga Khan Development Network. Retrieved November 17, 2023, from https://the.akdn/en/resources-media/whats-new/news-release/aga-khan-trust-culture-receives-iccrom-sharjah-award-best-practice-conservation
The Rehabilitation of Souk Al-Saqatiyya. (n.d.). The best in heritage. Retrieved November 19, 2023, from https://presentations.thebestinheritage.com/2021/rehabilitation-of-souk-al-saqatiyya
The Rehabilitation of Souk Al-Saqatiyya. (n.d.). The best in heritage. Retrieved November 19, 2023, from https://presentations.thebestinheritage.com/2021/rehabilitation-of-souk-al-saqatiyya
The Rehabilitation of Souk Al-Saqatiyya. (n.d.). The best in heritage. Retrieved November 19, 2023, from https://presentations.thebestinheritage.com/2021/rehabilitation-of-souk-al-saqatiyya
The Rehabilitation of Souk Al-Saqatiyya. (n.d.). The best in heritage. Retrieved November 19, 2023, from https://presentations.thebestinheritage.com/2021/rehabilitation-of-souk-al-saqatiyya
The Rehabilitation of Souk Al-Saqatiyya. (n.d.). The best in heritage. Retrieved November 19, 2023, from https://presentations.thebestinheritage.com/2021/rehabilitation-of-souk-al-saqatiyya
The Rehabilitation of Souk Al-Saqatiyya. (n.d.). The best in heritage. Retrieved November 19, 2023, from https://presentations.thebestinheritage.com/2021/rehabilitation-of-souk-al-saqatiyya
Souk al-saqatiyya rehabilitationaleppo, Syria. (n.d.). Archnet > Site > Souk al-Saqatiyya Rehabilitation. Retrieved November 19, 2023, from https://www.archnet.org/sites/20464
Aga Khan Trust for Culture receives ICCROM-Sharjah Award for Best Practice in Conservation of Islamic Heritage. (2023b). Aga Khan Development Network. Retrieved November 17, 2023, from https://the.akdn/en/resources-media/whats-new/news-release/aga-khan-trust-culture-receives-iccrom-sharjah-award-best-practice-conservation
Aga Khan Trust for Culture receives ICCROM-Sharjah Award for Best Practice in Conservation of Islamic Heritage. (2023b). Aga Khan Development Network. Retrieved November 17, 2023, from https://the.akdn/en/resources-media/whats-new/news-release/aga-khan-trust-culture-receives-iccrom-sharjah-award-best-practice-conservation
Aga Khan Trust for Culture receives ICCROM-Sharjah Award for Best Practice in Conservation of Islamic Heritage. (2023b). Aga Khan Development Network. Retrieved November 17, 2023, from https://the.akdn/en/resources-media/whats-new/news-release/aga-khan-trust-culture-receives-iccrom-sharjah-award-best-practice-conservation
The Rehabilitation of Souk Al-Saqatiyya. (n.d.). The best in heritage. Retrieved November 19, 2023, from https://presentations.thebestinheritage.com/2021/rehabilitation-of-souk-al-saqatiyya
The Rehabilitation of Souk Al-Saqatiyya. (n.d.). The best in heritage. Retrieved November 19, 2023, from https://presentations.thebestinheritage.com/2021/rehabilitation-of-souk-al-saqatiyya
SyriaRebuilt. (2020). Souk Al-Saqatiyya. Restore Syria. Retrieved November 19, 2023, from https://restoresyria.com/souk-al-saqatiyya/
Aga Khan Trust for Culture receives ICCROM-Sharjah Award for Best Practice in Conservation of Islamic Heritage. (2023b). Aga Khan Development Network. Retrieved November 17, 2023, from https://the.akdn/en/resources-media/whats-new/news-release/aga-khan-trust-culture-receives-iccrom-sharjah-award-best-practice-conservation
The Rehabilitation of Souk Al-Saqatiyya. (n.d.). The best in heritage. Retrieved November 19, 2023, from https://presentations.thebestinheritage.com/2021/rehabilitation-of-souk-al-saqatiyya
Aga Khan Trust for Culture receives ICCROM-Sharjah Award for Best Practice in Conservation of Islamic Heritage. (2023b). Aga Khan Development Network. Retrieved November 17, 2023, from https://the.akdn/en/resources-media/whats-new/news-release/aga-khan-trust-culture-receives-iccrom-sharjah-award-best-practice-conservation
Aga Khan Trust for Culture receives ICCROM-Sharjah Award for Best Practice in Conservation of Islamic Heritage. (2023b). Aga Khan Development Network. Retrieved November 17, 2023, from https://the.akdn/en/resources-media/whats-new/news-release/aga-khan-trust-culture-receives-iccrom-sharjah-award-best-practice-conservation
Aga Khan Trust for Culture receives ICCROM-Sharjah Award for Best Practice in Conservation of Islamic Heritage. (2023b). Aga Khan Development Network. Retrieved November 17, 2023, from https://the.akdn/en/resources-media/whats-new/news-release/aga-khan-trust-culture-receives-iccrom-sharjah-award-best-practice-conservation
Aga Khan Trust for Culture receives ICCROM-Sharjah Award for Best Practice in Conservation of Islamic Heritage. (2023b). Aga Khan Development Network. Retrieved November 17, 2023, from https://the.akdn/en/resources-media/whats-new/news-release/aga-khan-trust-culture-receives-iccrom-sharjah-award-best-practice-conservation
Aga Khan Trust for Culture receives ICCROM-Sharjah Award for Best Practice in Conservation of Islamic Heritage. (2023b). Aga Khan Development Network. Retrieved November 17, 2023, from https://the.akdn/en/resources-media/whats-new/news-release/aga-khan-trust-culture-receives-iccrom-sharjah-award-best-practice-conservation

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Project Description

Project Link, Endnotes and References

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