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Revitalising Historic Sites in Syria

The fortified entrance of the Citadel of Aleppo. Involvement in Syria began in 1999 in response to a request to the Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme (AKHCP) from the Syrian Directorate of Antiquities and Museums to provide technical assistance for the conservation and reuse of a number of historic citadel sites in the country. The Citadels of Aleppo and Masyaf and the Castle of Salah ad-Din were selected.

Each site presented a different set of challenges. The Citadel of Aleppo rises majestically above the ancient city of Aleppo and is one of the foremost monuments of the Islamic world. Inside the walls, a long history of bombardments, pillage and earthquakes had taken its toll. Conservation focused on a number of key areas that had a spatial or historic coherence: the Ayyubid Palace complex, the western section of the Citadel crown and the main surrounding walls.

The Castle of Salah ad-Din stands high on a mountain ridge.By contrast, the Castle of Salah ad-Din is located on a mountain ridge surrounded by forest. It has been described as “the greatest Crusader building enterprise of the twelfth century.” The armies of Salah ad‑Din took the castle in 1188 and conservation projects have focused on the palace complex built by its Ayyubid conquerors.

The Citadel of Masyaf, viewed from the city, after conservation.Masyaf Citadel is smaller in scale than Aleppo or Salah ad-Din and situated on the edge of a provincial town. A fighting castle rather than a royal seat, and more rugged in character, the Citadel is one of the most complete mediaeval fortresses surviving in Syria. Most of what remains standing dates from the period of Ismaili occupation in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The project included conservation of the entire structure. Just as at the other Citadel sites, the physical conservation work conserved the ruined character of the monument whilst adding support and strength where required.

In all cases, the objective was to create exemplars of historic monument conservation, thereby setting a benchmark of good practice, and to develop skills of local crafts people and professionals through training. Sustainability is a key aspect of AKHCP’s projects; the programme at the Citadels included investment in facilities such as visitors’ centres, pathways and guidebooks, and development of site management procedures. Conservation work at the Citadels will be completed in 2007.

During the early stages of the Citadel projects, the initial scope was expanded to include the context of the sites. A major Area Development project commenced in the perimeter area of Aleppo Citadel, devised in close collaboration with the Aleppo Old City office. This includes significant investment in landscaping around the Citadel, creation of a pedestrian zone at its entrance, traffic planning and conservation of key buildings. The objective is to enhance the Citadel’s place in the city and realise its potential as a significant contributor to economic development in the old city. Social projects are also being implemented in several adjacent, mostly low-income residential areas, with the aim of raising living standards. These include vocational training programmes, particularly related to the tourism industry, micro-credit facilities to help income generation, assistance for house-owners and water and sanitation projects. Similar but smaller townscape improvements have also been made in Masyaf, focused on upgrading of the central market complex, Souk al Saghir.

Aleppo, a cultural crossroads
One of the oldest cities in the Middle East, Aleppo developed as a crossroads between east and west, straddling important trade routes linking the desert to the sea. Until 1930, the city remained more or less confined within its mediaeval boundaries, limited by its walls and early suburbs, which were surrounded by pistachio, fig and olive groves.

Today, approximately 100,000 people, or 5% of the two million population of the city as a whole, live in the historic old city. A great many monuments are found amidst the historic fabric of the city, and it was recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1986.

AKHCP is in the early stages of a project to extend the boundaries of the Aleppo Area Development project to include creation of a park in an area of waste ground just outside the city walls at Bab Qinnesrine.