by NICOLAI OUROUSSOFF
“The innovative restoration of the Citadel in Aleppo, Syria, involved not just this landmark but its surroundings as well, including a pleasant plaza enjoyed by local residents and tourists alike.” PHOTO/Salah Malkawi/The New York Times
But this quiet plaza is the centerpiece of one of the most far-thinking preservation projects in the Middle East, one that places as much importance on people as it does on the buildings they live in. The project encompasses the rebuilding of crumbling streets and the upgrading of city services, the restoration of hundreds of houses in the historic Old City, plans for a 42-acre park in one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods and the near-decade-long restoration of the Citadel itself, whose massive walls dominate the skyline of Aleppo, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, and a gem of Islamic architecture.
The New York Times for more
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