Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
Abu Dhabi, SANA_ The list of projects nominated for the International ICCROM-Sharjah Awards for Good Practices in Cultural Heritage Conservation and Management in the Arab Region 2019-2020 included the restoration of the centuries-old al-Saqatiyah souk (market) of the ancient city of Aleppo.
The list also included 15 other cultural projects from Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Sudan and Jordan.
Al-Saqatiyah souk, which was opened in October last year, was restored after conducting scientific studies and a detailed plan for the area by Syrian expertise in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, the Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums, the Governorate and Aleppo City Council, the Syrian Trust for Development and the Agha Khan Cultural Foundation.
The restoration project has all the factors that qualify it to be nominated for the ICCROM award, since it was based on scientific studies, excellent pre-launch preparations for the restoration process, and the methodology adopted during the restoration, in addition to taking into account the historical periods of each building during the restoration work and setting a joint mechanism for cooperation between the concerned authorities to complete the required work on time.
The studies of the restoration processes were characterized by documenting the decorative elements ornamented the market to make the shops take a consistent nature and proving the ability of the Syrian national expertise to be unique in addition to showing that reconstruction is achieved in cooperation with all parties working to revive historical buildings and preserve the Syrian urban heritage.
The souk includes more than 53 shops dedicated to the sale of desserts and nuts. It is considered as the main center of the markets of the old city of Aleppo.
Al-Saqatiyah souk’s significance comes from being the link between all the markets in the old city. It extends from the door of Antioch in the western side of the old Aleppo to al- Zarb souk in the opposite side of the Citadel of Aleppo at the east.
By re-opening this market, Aleppo proves that it is the capital of the national economy and sends a message of love, peace and tolerance from the city of culture and heritage to stress that it has regained its humanitarian and economic role.
The ICCROM International prize is awarded every two years and aims to honor and reward distinguished works that contribute to protecting and reviving the tangible cultural heritage at the level of the Arab countries through the two categories of the award, namely buildings, heritage sites, collectibles and museum collections in cultural institutions such as museums and archives.
Gh.A.Hassoun
