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Where's It At
Archaeologist J Sauvaget wrote "Of all the towns of Syria,
it is Aleppo that leaves the profoundest impression upon the
visitor". Cradled in a bowl of dry hills in northern
Syria, the city of Aleppo has a grave and dignified front
of a traditional Arab city, although it's rules are more relaxed
than neighbouring countries. It's been a luring point for
passing traveller with it's fine arabic tradition, architecture
and trade. Since Roman times, Aleppo has been an important
trading centre linking the countries of Asia and the Mediterranean
and is though to be the oldest trading town in existence,
with some 50 centuries of commerce in it's rich history. Aleppo
has one of the biggest and best souqs in the middle east.
National specialities include cotton, grain, pistachios, olives
and sheep. Head into the Old City for a glimpse of how life
used to be.
Shoppers Paradise
The labyrinthine covered souk of Aleppo is sovered by stone
archways for 20 miles, making this the longest souk in the
Middle East. Since the Ottoman years, tiny Suzuki trucks have
replaced the tracks of camels through the tiny market alleys,
but the din of braying donkeys and shouting traders is timeless
in Aleppo. Donkeys and people stream along the crowded streets,
and western suited businessmen rub shoulders with bedouins
capped in kaffiyas. Pomegranates, camel humps and local goods
sit alongside western tinned goods as a sign of changing times.
North of the Citadel leads to the coppersmiths Souk, where
hammers can be heard all days as they knock out jugs and pans
which will be sold like vegetables based on their weight.
Beware of the silver tongued marketers, a local proverb reads
"An Aleppine can sell even a dried donkey skin".
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