Old Souk, Aleppo (Syria, 08/22) Disused alley

3D Model

A city’s identity buried in the ruins of an historic market.

A cultural melting pot and cosmopolitan trading centre dating back centuries, the old Souk in Aleppo was a place of commerce and employment, of social life and Syrian culture, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was almost completely destroyed by fighting between 2013 and 2016, along with much of the rest of the historic city.

Jobs and income were lost for workers and business owners. Aleppo residents’ daily struggle to find basic commodities became ever harder. But more than a market, the souk was a source of collective memories for them. Where the working Souk represented urban life in Aleppo, its ruins stand for the destruction warfare can bring upon a city’s identity, culture and heritage.

Explore the hidden cost of urban conflict in photogrammetric 3D at https://broken-cities.icrc.org/ (launch on 19 December)