Shadow of Syria’s Exiled Hangs Over Revived Aleppo Souk

People walk through the reopened Khan al-Harir souk in Syria's northern city of Aleppo - AFP
People walk through the reopened Khan al-Harir souk in Syria's northern city of Aleppo - AFP
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Shadow of Syria’s Exiled Hangs Over Revived Aleppo Souk

People walk through the reopened Khan al-Harir souk in Syria's northern city of Aleppo - AFP
People walk through the reopened Khan al-Harir souk in Syria's northern city of Aleppo - AFP

The historic Khan al-Harir souk in war-torn Syria's erstwhile economic capital of Aleppo has reopened following restoration work, but much of the former workforce that energized it remains exiled.

"Reconstruction works are done and this is great, but it's not enough," said Ahmed al-Shib, a 55-year-old textile merchant who had hoped to pass his business onto his sons.

"What we want is for our sons to return to these stores," he told AFP during the reopening of the covered market this week, showing pictures he had sent to his eldest who moved to Algeria three years ago to join his brother.

Khan al-Harir (silk souk) -- one of 37 markets surrounding Aleppo's famed citadel -- attracted thousands of tourists and merchants before the onset of Syria's conflict in 2011.

It was hit hard during he way which damaged as much as 60 percent of Aleppo's Old City, according to estimates by the UN's cultural agency, UNESCO.

The market officially reopened on Sunday -- five years after the Syrian government regained control of Aleppo, AFP reported.

Restoration works erased traces of some of the conflict's most brutal battles but it did little to console traders who have lost much more than just their stores.

In Ahmed's fabric shop, a portrait of his father -- the founder of the family business -- adorns a freshly painted wall.

Like many others in Khan al-Harir, Ahmed fears the family's store may die with him.

"My children live in Algeria, and the children of other traders are scattered between Egypt, Erbil" in northern Iraq and elsewhere, he said.

"There are a lot of trades that will be threatened if our sons continue to emigrate."

Syria's conflict has killed nearly half a million people, forced half of the pre-war population from their homes, and decimated the economy and infrastructure, with more than 80 percent of its residents now living below the poverty line.

As a result, Aleppo, long considered one of Syria's main commercial hubs, has lost many of the merchants and businessmen who once gave the city its economic edge.

Many have sought business opportunities elsewhere, with neighboring Iraq and Turkey popular destinations.

Ahmed al-Damlakhi took over a fabric shop in Khan al-Harir from his brother who emigrated to Turkey with his children several years ago.

Under a freshly renovated arch dotted with white and black stones, the 65-year-old greeted neighbors he hadn't seen in years.

He started a video call with his brother in Turkey to show the scene in the market, where traders had gathered outside their shops amid a trickle of customers.

"I am optimistic about the reopening of the market ... but we are missing merchants and investors who are now scattered across the Arab world and have established businesses there," he said.

Although he wished his brother was with him to celebrate the reopening, Damlakhi said the reasons that initially pushed him out had not changed.

"We used to depend on tourists and visitors coming from the countryside and other provinces... but the economic situation is now very difficult," he said.

"Western sanctions, meanwhile, create obstacles in relation to imports, exports and overall trade," Damlakhi added.

"So long as the situation doesn't change, it will be hard for my brother and his sons to return."

The renovation of Khan al-Harir -- home to some 60 stores -- took around a year to complete, and preparations are underway for two other markets to also be restored.

"The area was a pile of destruction, and today we can say that the market's infrastructure has been completely rehabilitated," said Jean Moughamez of the Syria Trust for Development, a government-linked agency overseeing restoration works.

But the exodus of traders poses a challenge, he admitted.

"We've had difficulty communicating with shop owners who are outside Syria, especially those who do not have an agent taking care of their shop affairs," Moughamez said.

"We cannot work alone, and we need everyone's cooperation," he said.



Nepal Capital Chokes as Wildfires Rage

Swoyambhunath Stupa on a hilltop is barely seen from a Skywalk tower amid the air pollution in Kathmandu, Nepal April 3, 2025. REUTERS/Navesh Chitraker
Swoyambhunath Stupa on a hilltop is barely seen from a Skywalk tower amid the air pollution in Kathmandu, Nepal April 3, 2025. REUTERS/Navesh Chitraker
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Nepal Capital Chokes as Wildfires Rage

Swoyambhunath Stupa on a hilltop is barely seen from a Skywalk tower amid the air pollution in Kathmandu, Nepal April 3, 2025. REUTERS/Navesh Chitraker
Swoyambhunath Stupa on a hilltop is barely seen from a Skywalk tower amid the air pollution in Kathmandu, Nepal April 3, 2025. REUTERS/Navesh Chitraker

Nepal's capital was blanketed in acrid smog Thursday as wildfires across the country pushed air pollution levels to among the worst in the world.

Experts say that widespread wildfires, fueled by an exceptionally dry winter and stagnant atmospheric conditions, have caused the thick and throat-burning smog to cover the Kathmandu valley, AFP reported.

Levels of PM2.5 pollutants -- cancer-causing microparticles that enter the bloodstream through the lungs -- registered above 178 micrograms per cubic meter on Thursday, according to Swiss monitoring firm IQAir.

A reading above 15 in a 24-hour period is considered unhealthy by the World Health Organization (WHO), and IQAir ranked Kathmandu the world's most polluted city.

The Himalayan nation sees a spate of wildfires annually, usually beginning in March, but their number and intensity have worsened in recent years, with climate change leading to drier winters.

"The prevailing dry conditions have significantly increased the frequency of forest fires across the country, further worsening air pollution," Khushboo Sharma, an air pollution analyst at the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development(ICIMOD) told AFP.

"This year, precipitation was exceptionally low, with hardly any rainfall, leaving forests dry and more susceptible to fire," she added.

Sharma said that stagnant meteorological conditions are also causing pollution to accumulate over the valley.

On social media, people complained of stinging eyes and itchiness because of the pollution.

Low visibility caused by the smog also disrupted flights at Kathmandu airport, sparking long delays.

"The mountain flights... as well as some other flights have been disturbed because of the pollution," said Rinji Sherpa, the airport's spokesman.

The health ministry issued a notice Wednesday requesting Nepalis to "avoid unnecessary travel" and to wear a mask when outside.

The government has also urged people to avoid construction and burning rubbish.

The Air Quality Life Index, issued by the University of Chicago, estimated that in 2024 air pollution stripped 3.4 years off the life of an average Nepal resident.