Environmental Consequences and Rehabilitation of Aleppo’s Historical Markets During and After the War

Aleppo is Syria’s largest city. The ancient city of Aleppo was inscribed on the World Heritage List of UNESCO in 1986. However, during the civil war in Syria, the ancient city of Aleppo between July 2012 and December 2016 suffered severe damage and destruction. Therefore, in 2013 it was classified as ″endangered site″ on the List of World Heritage in Danger. The conflict is likely to have a disastrous impact on the environment. Four years of fighting has left the city in rubble and caused widespread damage to the industrial sites, critical infrastructure, and cultural heritage destruction. The major market in Aleppo Al-Madina Souk was affected by a fire in September 2012; around 700 to 1,000 shops were destroyed. Damage caused by these forms of pollution might result in acute and chronic health issues for civilians and a long-term adverse effect on the environment that civilians depend on. This chapter discusses the environmental damage caused by commercial and industrial activities in Aleppo Old City before the war and how it was dealt with through the GIZ project, as well as in more detail the consequences, including the damages in the markets and the loss and deformation of the historical urban fabric after the war and others. Then the study goes into detail about the environmental consequences and how they were managed or solved or rehabilitated, according to an example: Souk al-Saqqatiya one of oldest Ottoman covered market in the Middle East dates to 1594) which was a pilot project of restoration and recovery launched by the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums in Syria (DGAM) and the Aga Khan Trust in 2018. Finally, to have the real effect, we will highlight the most recent documentation, preservation, and protection methods, such as BIM (building information modeling) and HBIM (historical building information modeling), to achieve sustainable development.