Aleppo

• Endogenous factors:

  1. Topography

  • sits on a plateau at n elevation of approximately 1300 feet
  • one of the most fertile in Syria
  • wheat fields and orchards covering the south of the city
• endogenous factors:

  2. Physical geography

  • 129km Aleppo river runs through city city surrounded by farmlands from the north and west
  • widely cultivated with olive and pistachio trees
  • to the east - dry areas of the Syrian desert
  • summers - hot, arid and clear
  • winters - cold and cloudy
• endogenous factors

  3. Land use

  • surrounded by a large ring road
  • city expanding beyond its limit
  • outside ring road is mainly farmland along with a large international airport
  • inside the ring road is mainly residential low rise apartments and houses
  • green spaces and famous ancient citadel
  • railway station located in the centre of the city
• Endogenous factors:

  4. Built environment

  • relatively low rise apartments of similar heights
  • hsitoric monuments, mosques and military training grounds
• Endogenous factors:

  5. Infrastructure

  • crisis in Syria has had an adverse effect on access to water
  • most building and historical monuments destroyed
• Endogenous factors:

  6. Demographic

  • diverse
  • Arabic decent makes up 59.2% of the population
  • 80% Sunni Muslims
  • 13% Christians
  • relatively youthful population
  • increasing percentage of elderly people post war
  • outward migration of 25-40 year olds to neighbouring countries
• Exogenous influences

  1. Transport links

  • railway lines link cityy to Turky and other Syrian settlements such as Latakia
  • international airport
  • serves as a secondary hub for Syrian Arab airlines
  • airport closed in 2013 due to military operations in the area
• Exogenous influences

  2. Communication links

  • since 2011, communication has been severely affected
  • relies on technical connections with turkey for internet provision and these are intermittently destroyed
  • phone lines and electricity supply often go down
• Exogenous influences

  3. Migration

  • over 2.5 million syrians fled to turkey due to civil war
  • 400,000 estimated to be from Aleppo
  • russian air strikes on rebel forces have been widely blamed for the most recent wave of migrants towards the Syrian border
  • 2021 - more than 6.8 milllion refugees were from Syria
• Exogenous influences

  4. Trade and investment

  • industrial city of Aleppo in the Sheik Najjar district one of the largest in Syria and the region
  • occupying an area of 4,412 hectares in the north-eastern suburbs of Aleppo - total investments in the city counted more than $3.4 billion during 2010
  • still under development - envisaged to open hotels, exhibition centres and other facilities
  • old traditional crafts are weak preserved
  • famous laurel soap considered to be the first hard soap
• Exogenous influences

  5. Government

  • 2011 - pro democracy protests became violent uprising against the Syrian government in retaliation to shooting protestors
  • civil war between the government and revels has escalated into a into a country wide war
  • currently majority in rebel control
• changing demographic characteristics:

  • used to be syrias financial and industrial centre
  • conquered multiple times by Romans, Ottomons, British, french
  • 1936 - independence- city developed along with its major industrial centre, rivalling the capital Damascus
  • popualiton expanded massively - 300,000 -> 2.3 million by 2005
• changing demographic characteristics:

  • annual birth rate fallen by more than half since the 2011
  • 500,000 births to 200,000
  • net migration rate is -113.51 per 1,000
  • life expectancy dropped from 70 to 55.4
• impacts of external forces in Aleppo

  1. Government policies

  • people cannot leave
  • international aid is being disrupted
  • al-qaeda
  • 400,000 Syrians fled due to the war
  • independent stalls and retail units are closed in the grand bazaar
  • weakening the local economy
  • US funding to syria
  • eastern aleppo‘s high earning skill workers have left the country
  • communities living in fear of violence
  • everyone becoming divided
  • 400,000 fled - lack of diversity and multiculturism
• Impacts of external forces in Aleppo

  2. TNCs ~ Shell oil

  • before the war - used to be a major contributor to the economy
  • many hospitals damaged and destroyed during fighting
  • no funding to maintain the facilities or provide medical equipment
  • 80% patients dying
  • previous funding from petroleum sales not being received
  • money not being invested into the local economy for redevelopment
  • Residents suffering from economic hardships
  • place identity viewed as city in economic decline
• Impacts of external forces in Aleppo

  3. Global institutions

  • reduced assistance due to funding cuts
  • means refugees are forced to make agonising choices every day
  • $5.5 billion needed for refugees and host communities in neighbouring countries
• Present connection:

  1. Trade

  • syrias global trade severely diminished since the start of the Assad regime
  • government has a lack of continuity and is corrupt
• Present connection:

  2. War

  • obvious connections to rebel government
  • governments lack of reliability causes conflict and leads to migration
  • also causes loss of culture
  • destruction of ancient city Palmyra - UNESCO world heritage site by ISIS
• Present connection:

  3. Location

  • sits on a zone which is laden with oil reserves
  • viable asset to many global countries
  • could impact their involvement in the syrian civil war
• Past connections:

  1. Trade

  • Silk Road - prime location between 3 continents
  • increasing diversity
  • allows goods to be transported
• Past connections:

  2. War and siege

  • aleppo had changed several hands several times from mongol and ottoman invasions
  • this impacts the locale and culture and religious identity
• Past connections:

  3. Location

  • Fertile Crescent
  • in an area that is most fertile in the middle east
  • crucial for the upstart of the Aleppos agriculture
  • impacted positively on trade links locally and regionally
• Representations : Omar Offendum - crying shame

  • corrupt government don’t care about their people
  • power hungry presidents
  • anger - cry for help
  • persuading people to send aid
  • song/rap - broader audience
  • he benefits due to the money made from the release
  • external sources?
• Representations : Mohammed Fouad - I sit on the balcony

  • black and deserted
  • sound of gunfire
  • war zone
  • miserable
  • no hope
  • reliable as he lives there
  • use of emotive language
  • Desperation
  • in need for aid
• Representations : tourism video

  • promising
  • some luxury
  • not reliable
  • won’t show the negatives
  • restoration
  • biased