Aleppo - Sana
The City Council of Aleppo completed the restoration work of the ancient Al-Khabiya market and repairing the damage caused to it as a result of terrorism, which includes 106 shops ranging from sweets, foodstuffs, vegetables, stationery, school bags and shoes, in cooperation with the United Nations Development Program.
Eng. Ahmed Al-Shehabi, Director of the Old City of Aleppo, said in a statement to SANA’s correspondent that as part of the Aleppo City Council’s plan to restore, rehabilitate and restore Aleppo’s old markets, the Al-Khabiya archaeological market, which is one of the most important ancient Aleppo markets, connects between the prison streets in the south and Bab al-Nasr in the north. Infrastructure, including water, electricity and communications networks, re-paving tiles, as well as rehabilitating stone facades, removing irregularities and visual distortions, and rebuilding what was destroyed as a result of terrorist attacks.
Al-Shihabi pointed out that the metal roof covering part of the market was replaced after the rehabilitation of the metal trophies bearing it, the building of stone stands again, the rebuilding of the stone arches and the archways, the installation of wooden awnings and metal doors in line with their archaeological character, pointing to the continuation of the implementation of the plans of the Old City of Aleppo To rehabilitate the markets with a view to re-commercializing them.
Engineer Hussam Halabi from the Execution Division in the Old City of Aleppo said that the restoration work included Al-Khabiya Market and parts of Bab Al-Nasr, which is located at the entrance to the northern market, where the walls that were prone to falling were restored and strengthened by using the same stones and the lost ones were compensated with the same quality, pointing out that the market is divided into two parts The first was covered by a metal canopy, and the second was exposed, where wooden umbrellas were installed that correspond to the model found in the old markets of Aleppo. All works were carried out according to technical specifications and on the conditions required by the Directorate of Antiquities and Museums, and by using the clay and kohl materials recognized in the restoration of the antique markets.
Eng. Basil Al-Dhahir, the executor of the Al-Khabiya Market Restoration Project, talked about the restoration work that was carried out by national hands and local experiences that are in line with the urban identity of the old Aleppo markets and included stone facades, roofs and metal corridors dedicated to closing shops, pointing to the desire of shop owners to reopen their stores and work on them again. In a way that contributes to achieving the main objectives of the project, which is the return of commercial movement to the market.
A Sana camera toured the market and monitored the views of a number of shop owners who expressed their joy at returning to the market and working in their stores again, as Abu Mustafa, the owner of a store that sells school supplies and stationery, explained that he returned again to practice his work and sell school supplies to children and asked the concerned authorities to deliver electrical current to the market while calling Ahmed Naoura, owner of a shoe store
And who spent more than fifty years in the market shop owners to return and practice their work again after rehabilitating the market.
Jamal Melis, the owner of a vegetable and fruit shop, expressed his thanks to the Aleppo City Council and the concerned authorities for the speedy completion of the restoration work in the market and demanded that the phone service be secured and delivered to the shops. Yahya Abu Shala, a perfume seller, Ahmed Sabbagh, the owner of a shop selling nuts, and Wadah Salo, the owner of a bag selling shop, rushed back to them. For their shops because they are from the neighborhood and they have old memories, and they called upon the shopkeepers to reopen their stores.
Qusay Razzouk