Syria: Restored historic al-Saqatiyah Market reopens in Aleppo

W/S People in re-opened market, Aleppo
M/S Restored gate
W/S People inside market
W/S People listening to speaker
W/S People attending opening ceremony
W/S Speaker addressing attendees
W/S People in market
M/S Shop
M/S Shop
M/S Restored shop
M/S Restored shop
SOT, Abdullah al-Hamwi, Shop owner (Arabic): "When we returned to the Market, and feel it is secure to come back, while there was no capacity when the insurgents took our money, we came back with hopes on Agha Khan, who reconstructed the market and made it as it was before and even better. Thank God, it is like before, and we were subsidized with money, installations and everything else."
M/S Man selling drinks in market
W/S Market
M/S Shop
W/S Market
M/S Shop inside market
C/u Butcher's
M/S Shopkeepers
SOT, AbdulRahman Mahmoud, Shop owner (Arabic): "The factory was established in 1981. The market used to be old, now after modernisation it became more modern and better, and we regained 70 per cent of our work. People -thank God - are coming more and more. We only need reconstruction behind the mosque [area] where some destroyed shops are. Thank God, there are ten reconstructed shops, and the work is hopefully continuing to Ropes Market and Sacks Market. Saqatiyah Market is better than before. Saqatiyah Market is in a very good [condition]. It has been restored in terms of infrastructure. The electricity now is regular, and the phone [lines] are new, everything is new, there is internet and solar heat generators. It is hundred times better than before."
M/S Shop inside market
M/S Market ceiling
SCRIPT
The centuries-old al-Saqatiyah Market has reopened in Aleppo on Thursday after it was restored to its former glory.
Aleppo locals and representatives of the Aga Khan foundation who partially funded the venture attended the official opening of the market.
The market or Souq, is part of the ancient Bazaar in the Ancient City of Aleppo, a UNESCO world heritage site which was damaged during the eight-year Syrian conflict. Many of the old markets are still in ruins.
The venture was partially funded by the Aga Khan foundation at a cost of $400,000 (€357,168) and took eight months.