UNESCO considers reconstruction of Ancient City of Aleppo possible

YEREVAN, AUGUST 4, ARMENPRESS. UNESCO finds that it's possible to reconstruct theAncient City ofAleppodemolished during the fights against the "Islamic State". "Our vision is to reconstruct the Ancient City ofAleppo the way it existed before the war", "Armenpress" reports Mazen Samman, UNESCO's associate program coordinator in Aleppo,told REUTERS.

There are detailed plans for the Old City's great medieval mosques, souks, bath houses and citadel from an earlier restoration that should allow exact reconstruction, he said.

But while that may be true of the most treasured monuments, whole districts of less celebrated alleyways and traditional houses that gave the Old City its character are also now rubble.

Now gradual efforts are being made to revive the city, one of the oldest in the Middle East.

The United Nations and international cultural agencies say they are committed to preserving and restoring Syrian heritage, but it will ultimately rely on local effort.

It needs local government to ensure work fits the character of the Old City, both architecturally and in how land is divided between shops, houses and public spaces.

It depends on the Old City's 100,000 former residents choosing to return to their homes and businesses, many of which are now piles of stones and concrete.

The Syrian conflict started in March, 2011. Accordin to the UN data, it has left 220 thousand dead.