Aleppo is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world; it may have been inhabited since the sixth millennium BC. For centuries, Aleppo was the largest city in the Syrian region, and the Ottoman Empire’s third-largest after Istanbul and Cairo.
The conflict in Aleppo city between 2012 and 2016 has led to massive destruction of the architectural and cultural heritage. After 2017 the Syrian government embarked on the reconstruction of some heritage buildings, but it appears that only a few of contemporary principles of historical restoration have been followed. The potential damage is further heightened by the absence of local experts to plan and conduct restoration and reconstruction work. This lecture aims to evaluate the current restoration works, to explore whether these projects meet the international standards, and to analyse the most significant problems and obstacles facing restoration projects in Aleppo city.
Mahmoud Zin Alabadin is a Syrian architect and researcher, currently based at the Yilidiz Technical University of Architecture in Istanbul. His research focuses on the Islamic and Ottoman in the Middle East. His books include The Architecture of Traditional Houses in Turkey and Syria; The Bridge of Civilization: the Ottoman Buildings in Saudi Arabia; and The City of Aleppo and Its Traditional Houses, which is published in English, Arabic and Turkish.
He is also an expert on architectural reconstruction, having worked on several preservation and restoration projects of historical buildings in Syria, and as a consultant architect and expert in cultural heritage at the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). He is currently directing the documentary project “Aleppo Yesterday Today and Tomorrow”, which researches reconstruction plans of Aleppo City and will result in a database of 50 historical buildings affected by the war. The project received a Fondazione Santagata Award: Special Mention, dedicated to the best projects realized in territories or communities with UNESCO designation and with the capability in promoting sustainable development, for the Project “Aleppo: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”.
This event is organised by Dr Lucy Bradnock (The Courtauld) and Professor Alixe Bovey (The Courtauld).
