A delegation from the Technical Committee for the Preservation of the Old City of Aleppo, Syria, visited the Conservation and Restoration Research Group at the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, Yıldız Technical University. During the meeting, discussions focused on the technical and academic contributions Yıldız Technical University could provide toward the preservation and rehabilitation of Aleppo’s Old City and the sustainable safeguarding of its World Heritage status. 

The Conservation and Restoration Research Group of the Department of Architecture at Yıldız Technical University’s Faculty of Architecture hosted the delegation from the Technical Committee for the Preservation of Aleppo’s Old City. Hosted by Prof. Dr. Zeynep Gül Ünal, Chair of the Conservation and Restoration Research Group, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ebru Omay Polat, Coordinator of the Conservation and Restoration Program, the meeting assessments were made regarding the current state of the Old City of Aleppo, its needs, and conservation efforts that could be carried out in the coming period.

Attendees from the Aleppo Old City Technical Committee for Conservation included Technical Committee Chair and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Ebla Private University in Syria, Dr. Mazen Samman, M.Eng.; Representative of the Directorate of Endowments, Dr. Wassila Sammani, M.Eng.; Eng. Wassila Sammani, a representative of the Directorate of Antiquities and Museums, Senior Engineer Shireen Nabo, a representative of the Old City Directorate, Senior Engineer Leon Moshakka, a representative of the Directorate of Tourism, Senior Eng. Hassan Al-Khaled, Architect Osman Kezi, Representative of the TIKA Aleppo Office, and Raffat Haj Khaled, Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Preparing a “rehabilitation plan” for Aleppo’s Old City is on the agenda

At the meeting, Dr. Mazen Samman, Chair of the Aleppo Old City Preservation Technical Committee and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Ebla Private University in Syria, provided information on the preservation projects carried out in the Aleppo Old City since the 1990s. Samman described the effects of the war, the earthquake, and the subsequent events on the historic city and offered an assessment of the city’s current needs.

During the meeting, attention was drawn to the importance of addressing conservation efforts for Aleppo’s Old City from a short-, medium-, and long-term perspective. In this context, the need to prepare a “rehabilitation plan” that would comprehensively assess the city’s current condition and establish the fundamental approaches and priorities to guide future efforts was emphasized.

The World Heritage status of Aleppo’s Old City was reviewed

The meeting’s agenda also included efforts to remove Aleppo’s Old City from the List of World Heritage in Danger and to ensure the sustainable preservation of its World Heritage status. In this context, the needs related to preserving the historic city’s outstanding universal value, mitigating existing risks, and conducting conservation efforts with a long-term approach were assessed.

Members of the Old City of Aleppo Technical Committee for Conservation shared their views, based on their respective areas of expertise and responsibility, regarding potential future improvement and conservation efforts. The importance of carrying out conservation efforts for the historic city within a collaborative framework, with contributions from various institutions and fields of expertise, was emphasized.

YTÜ’s technical and academic contributions were discussed

During the meeting, the technical and academic contributions that Yıldız Technical University could provide toward the preservation of Aleppo’s Old City were also evaluated. The potential contribution of the university’s academic expertise in the fields of preservation and restoration to identifying the city’s needs and ensuring that future work is carried out in accordance with scientific principles was discussed.

The meeting also highlighted the importance of education and capacity-building initiatives aimed at training experts in the fields of conservation and restoration. It was noted that fostering academic and institutional collaborations among universities, public institutions, and relevant stakeholders is crucial for the sustainability of efforts to preserve the Old City of Aleppo.

The goal is to develop joint initiatives

During the meeting, participants exchanged views on developing new initiatives based on scientific knowledge, institutional collaboration, and shared responsibility, with the aim of preserving the outstanding universal value of the Old City of Aleppo and passing it on to future generations.

With the contribution of Yıldız Technical University’s technical and scientific expertise, the goal is to develop new initiatives for the preservation of the Old City of Aleppo and to implement joint projects in the coming period.