Centuries-old bazaar in Syria’s Aleppo making slow recovery

ALEPPO, Syria – Much of the centuries-old covered bazaar in the Syrian city of Aleppo is still in ruins, but slowly small parts of it have been renovated.

The latest to be renovated is al-Saqatiyah Market, or souk — a cobblestone alley under arches and domes.

Still, bringing customers back to what was once a thronging marketplace remains a struggle.

Aleppo’s historic Old City saw some of the worst battles of Syria’s eight-year civil war. Government forces wrested it from rebel control in December 2016 in a devastating siege that left the eastern half of Aleppo and much of the Old City — a UNESCO world heritage site — in ruins.

Planners hope that by rebuilding segments of the bazaar and getting some shops back open, eventually they re-inject life into the markets.