October 2, 2012

Large parts of Aleppo’s covered souk, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Syria that dates back to the 1300′s, were reduced to ashes on September 29 and 30 as government forces and rebels fought for control of the city. The world’s largest covered market, the Souk al-Madina caught fire during fighting but the exact circumstances remained unclear. The market’s many small retail stalls, crowded under ancient arches, were full of fabric and other highly flammable goods, and the fire spread quickly. An eyewitness related that the rebel fighters tried to put out the fire but failed to do so because government snipers were shooting at them.

People shop for vegetables at a market in Aleppo, one of Syria's largest cities. Aleppo, in northwestern Syria, is an important agricultural, industrial, and education center. (© Tibor Bognar, Corbis Stock Market)

Aleppo’s Old City–one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited places–is one of several places in Syria that UNESCO, the United Nations cultural agency, has designated a World Heritage site currently at risk due to the civil war. Other endangered sites include the ancient Citadel at Aleppo, the Krac des Chevaliers fortress, parts of Old Damascus, and the ancient desert city of Palmyra. Parts of the Citadel at Aleppo are believed to date back to 2000 B.C. The Krac des Chevaliers was built by crusaders between 1142 and 1271. Aleppo’s Souk al-Madina was a busy cosmopolitan trading hub on the ancient Silk Road from China.

A crusader's fortress, Krak des Chevaliers was built to withstand Muslim attacks. This castle, which stands in Syria on the site of small, earlier fortifications, was rebuilt and expanded by the Knights Hospitallers in the 1100's and 1200's. The castle is one of several World Heritage sites endangered by civil war in Syria. (© Angelo Hornak, Corbis)

Additional World Book articles:

• Arab Spring
• Knights Hospitallers
• Middle East: From Fall to Spring (a Special Report)
• Syria 2011 (a Back in Time article)