Aleppo

by Ross Burns

Aleppo is one of the longest-surviving cities of the ancient and Islamic Middle East. Until recently it enjoyed a thriving urban life―in particular an active traditional suq, whose origins can be traced across many centuries. Its tangle of streets still follow the Hellenistic grid and above it looms the great Citadel, which contains recently-uncovered remains of a Bronze/Iron Age temple complex, suggesting an even earlier role as a ‘high place’ in the Canaanite tradition. In the Arab Middle Ages, Aleppo was a strongpoint of the Islamic resistance to the Crusader presence. Its medieval Citadel is one of the most dramatic examples of a fortified enclosure in the Islamic tradition. In Mamluk and Ottoman times, the city took on a thriving commercial role and provided a base for the first European commercial factories and consulates in the Levant. Its commercial life funded a remarkable building tradition with some hundreds of the 600 or so officially-declared monuments dating from these eras, and its diverse ethnic mixture, with significant Kurdish, Turkish, Christian and Armenian communities provide a richer layering of influences on the city’s life. In this volume, Ross Burns explores the rich history of this important city, from its earliest history through to the modern era, providing a thorough treatment of this fascinating city history, accessible both to scholarly readers as well as to the general public interested in a factual and comprehensive survey of the city’s past.

Genres: History, Middle East

360 pages, Hardcover

First published August 8, 2016

Reviews

[/d. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic book that details the rich history of Aleppo from the Bronze age all the way up until 2011. It's a fascinating read that occasionally goes into great detail to sketch out the way different groups and empires pushed their spheres of influence to cover Aleppo and the surrounding area for the past 5000 years. The fact that Ross included a large number of photographs to illustrate his affectionate descriptions of the cityscape only further underpins my excitement for this book. If I have one criticism it would perhaps be that Ross occasionally seems to stretch what can reasonably be interpreted into the city's architecture. While it should be obvious that architectural remnants do bear witness of the impact different historical phases have had on a city and its inhabitants, I can't seem to shake of the feeling that Ross at times tilt said analysis into something of a architectural determinism whereby certain urban features lead to more historical certainty than they should. Overall, however, this is a great book, based on a lot of both local and European sources. Most importantly, the book is absolutely jammed with great maps that make following along so much easier!

[Miami33134 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its a great piece of work and superb tool for further research if you are passionate about the subject. It might be a bit of a heavy read for a non-specialist and an eye-wateringly expensive purchase (U$180) for students though...

[Mike G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very detailed and useful work for students and enthusiasts of Aleppo history.

[Victor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Challenging book. It is helpful to have maps and other supplementary material. I would like to revisit this later since it is well done and covers such a rich history.

[Carolina Helena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Li este livro de fio a pavio a propósito da minha tese de mestrado.
É um excelente ponto de partida para compreender a história da cidade e da região em que se insere. Apesar do carácter científico e do rigor a que se propõe, a leitura é fluída e acessível mesmo para aqueles que a priori não têm grande conhecimento do enquadramento histórico-social. Os capítulos vão alternando entre os diversos períodos históricos/governos e informação relativa à arquitectura, ao urbanismo e sociedade que lhes são complementares. Aqui e ali, existem mapas e gravuras que ilustram com precisão os tópicos abordados, bem como um mapa da cidade no fim.

[Miami33134 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its a great piece of work and superb tool for further research if you are passionate about the subject. It might be a bit of a heavy read for a non-specialist and an eye-wateringly expensive purchase (U$180) for students though...

[Mills College Library]

956.913 B9677 2017