Al-Jdayde Explained

Al-Jdayde (Aleppo)
Other Name:Al-Jdeideh, Al-Judayda
Native Name:جديدة
Native Language:ar
Built:Late 14th Century
Coordinates:36.2069°N 37.1568°W
Location:Aleppo, Syria

Al-Jdayde (Arabic: جديدة, also transliterated as al-Jdeideh, al-Judayda, al-Jdeïdé or al-Jadida) is a historic predominantly Christian neighbourhood of Aleppo. It is noted for its winding narrow alleys, richly decorated mansions and churches. It was an area of significant cultural and historical interest. Much of Al-Jdayde suffered catastrophic damage during the Syrian Civil War.[1]

History

At the end of the Mamluk period, al-Jdayde was a small suburb benefiting from a few shops located outside of city's northern walls and near the cemeteries and storage areas. The development of the city along the roads connecting the Bab al-Nasr gate with neighbouring villages to the North and northeast progressively integrated Jdayde into the city of Aleppo.[2]

By the late 14th century, these quarters were equipped with khutba mosques and fountains made possible by a network of water works. A new water duct, opened in 1490–91, facilitated the further extension of the Jdayde neighbourhood and the creation of its hammams.[3] Christian cemeteries and probably also the remains of ancient churches of the Byzantine period are to be found in the West side of the al-Jdayde suburb. The earlier settlement of Salibeh in this ancient Christian sector, followed by the development of Jdayde, reflects the growth of the Christian population and its desire to reside together in specific areas.[4] [5]

Most churches, newly built or enlarged, are found around Farhat Square next to the Salibeh intersection, notably, the Armenian Holy Forty Martyrs Church which was enlarged in 1490,[6] the Greek Orthodox, the Maronite and the Syriac churches.[7] The neighbourhood was gradually settled by notables as well as less affluent residents.[8]

Character

The Armenians, who specialized in trade with Persia and India, were the predominant inhabitants of Jdeideh.[9] During the 16th and 17th centuries, following the Ottoman conquest, the neighbourhood was subdivided into rectangular land parcels.[10] Two large Muslim waqfs (religious trusts), founded in 1583–90 and in 1653, have been in the heart of the area for centuries.[11]

These two architectural ensembles, with richly decorated facades and regular layout, hosted the majority of the commercial and social services for the neighbourhood, where Muslim and Christian, rich and poor, lived side by side.[12] They included a fountain in front of the Christian quarter, a café, a large hammam, a small mosque and a school for Muslim pupils, a cloth market, four large textile workshops,[13] a vast cereal warehouse, and various souks for food and local services.[14]

Here numbers of locals and dragomen would, with the encouragement of various sultans, assist foreign merchants conduct their trade in Aleppo.[15]

Revitalisation

In 1990–2000, al-Jdayde—noted for its winding narrow alleys, richly decorated mansions and churches—became an area of significant cultural, historical and tourist interest for national and international visitors.[16] [17] An ever-present scent of flowers, especially Jasmin, was said to permeate the area.[18]

Many of the neighbourhood's historic palaces were revitalised as museums, boutique hotels and restaurants. Some of the most important historic buildings of the al-Jdayde quarter include: Beit Wakil,[19] Beit Ghazaleh,[20] Dar Zamaria, Beit Achiqbash, Beit Sader, Beit Sissi, Dar Basile[21] and Beit Dallal.[22] [23]

Jdayde's two squares, Sahat Farhat and Sahat Al Hatab were also renovated during this period.[24] [25]

Recent Developments

Much of al-Jdayde suffered catastrophic damage during the Syrian civil war which began in Aleppo in 2012.[26] [27] [28] The area found itself on the front line of a four-year war of attrition between combatant forces.[29] [30] [31]

In particular, a series of huge underground explosions[32] conducted by the armed opposition under Sahat Al Hatab in April 2015 devastated the neighbourhood.[33] [34] A number of monuments, museums, churches including Beit Ghazaleh, Beit Achiqbash and the Waqf of Ibshir Mustafa Pasha, were heavily damaged by fighting.[35] [36] [37] Furthermore, numerous buildings were stripped of their fixtures and fittings and ancient decorations looted.[38] [39] [40]

A collaborative high precision survey of various monuments in the zone were completed in November 2017 by the DGAM and UNESCO to facilitate their protection and emergency consolidation.[41] [42] The process of the rehabilitation of Sahat al Hatab square, which began with back-filling of craters in 2017, continued with rubble clearance in 2018.[43] [44] [45] Reconstruction on a number of key elements in the neighbourhood began in 2021.[46] [47] [48] The situation regarding the full return of trees to the square is unclear.

Bibliography

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Rebuilding Aleppo: 'We cannot preserve the place but we can save our memories'. Mackenzie. Laura. 15 July 2019. The Guardian. 18 July 2019. en-GB. 0261-3077.
  2. Hazzazé to the north-west, Ramadaniyé to the north-east and Banqousa to the east
  3. [Jean Sauvaget|Sauvaget, Jean]
  4. Heghnar Zeitlian Watenpaugh (2004), The image of an Ottoman city: imperial architecture and urban experience in Aleppo in the 16th and 17th centuries, Leiden: EJ Brill, pp. 158–9
  5. The Levantine Merchant Consuls of Aleppo; The Commercial Elites 1750- 1850. UCLA. 2017. en. Maran. Momdjian.
  6. Sauvaget (1941) p. 179.
  7. Web site: Judayda Churches كنائس الجْدَيْدِة. Ross Burns & Stefan Knost. L.I.S.A. WISSENSCHAFTSPORTAL GERDA HENKEL STIFTUNG. en, ar. 13 February 2020.
  8. Churches and houses shared the same principle of discretion with an absence of facades shown on exterior elevations especially on the main streets. It seems that certain churches may have had their entrances at the end of cul-de-sacs.
  9. Semerdjian. Elyse. 10 October 2019. Armenians in the Production of Urban Space in Early Modern Judayda, Aleppo. Aleppo and Its Hinterland in the Ottoman Period . en. 28–61. 10.1163/9789004414006_003. 9789004414006. 210624922 .
  10. David, Jean-Claude. (1982) « Urbanisation spontanée et planification » Les cahiers de la recherche architecturale, n°10–11.
  11. Book: David, Jean-Claude. Le Waqf d'Ipšīr Pāšā à Alep (1063–1653) : Étude d'urbanisme historique. 16 March 2015. Presses de l’Ifpo. 978-2-35159-507-7. Études arabes, médiévales et modernes. Beyrouth. fr.
  12. Book: Mansel, Philip. Aleppo: The Rise and Fall of Syria's Great Merchant City. 2016. I.B.Tauris. 9781784534615. 28. en.
  13. The three qaysariya du waqf Ipchir Pacha have been held more than eighty textile operations each with two to four looms thus possibly hosted more than 250 craftsmen at the peak of activities in the area.
  14. David, Jean-Claude, (2004) « La production de l’espace dans la ville ottomane » Les relations entre musulmans et chrétiens dans le Bilad al-Cham, p. 178–179.
  15. Book: Burns, Ross. Aleppo: A History. 25 August 2016. Routledge. 9781134844081. 231–2. en.
  16. Stefano Bianca, Peter Davies, Wolfgang Fülscher (1981–83) The Re-development of the Bab Al-Faraj Area in Aleppo, UNESCO PARIS p. 9 (36)
  17. Web site: Aleppo Houses. Sabbagh. Lamia. 15 November 2016. prezi.com. en. 23 July 2017.
  18. News: Return to Aleppo: The story of my home during the war. Tharoor. Maryam Maruf and Kanishk. 10 June 2017. BBC News. 10 June 2017. en-GB.
  19. Web site: Aleppo Bayt Wakil Archnet. archnet.org. 17 May 2017.
  20. Web site: Courtyard view to iwan Archnet. archnet.org. 17 May 2017.
  21. Web site: Bayt Basil Detail of tiles in courtyard Archnet. archnet.org. 17 May 2017.
  22. Web site: Bayt Dallal Courtyard view towards reception hall Archnet. archnet.org. 17 May 2017.
  23. Book: Salle, Eusèbe de (1796–1873) Auteur du texte. Pérégrinations en Orient, ou Voyage pittoresque, historique et politique en Égypte, Nubie, Syrie, Turquie, Grèce pendant les années 1837-38-39. T. 2 / par Eusèbe de Salle,.... 1840. FR.
  24. Book: Darke, Diana. Syria. 1 January 2010. Bradt Travel Guides. 9781841623146. en.
  25. Bairs-Zars. Bernadette. May 2017. Developing heritage: activist decision-makers and reproducing narratives in the Old City of Aleppo, Syria. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Departement of Urban Studies and Planning. 183.
  26. News: Syria: Christians take up arms for first time. Telegraph.co.uk. 9 December 2016.
  27. News: Aleppo's famed Old City left 'unrecognisable' by war. 1 January 2017. Al-Monitor. en-us. 1 January 2017.
  28. David. Jean-Claude. Boissière. Thierry. 2013. La destruction du patrimoine culturel à Alep : banalité d'un fait de guerre ?. Confluences [en] Méditerranée. fr. 89. 2. 163. 10.3917/come.089.0163.
  29. News: Aleppo's famed Old City left 'unrecognisable' by war. 30 December 2016. Al-Monitor. en-us. 30 December 2016.
  30. Ministry of Culture Directorate General of Antiquities & Museums (2017) STATE PARTY REPORT On The State of Conservation of The Syrian Cultural Heritage Sites (Syrian Arab Republic), 1 February 2017, available on https://whc.unesco.org/document/155953
  31. News: Aleppo After the Fall. The New York Times . 24 May 2017 . 27 May 2017. Worth . Robert F. .
  32. Web site: Old Aleppo: Tunnels were exploded and bombings with TNT barrels – APSA. 15 May 2015. apsa2011.com. en-US. https://web.archive.org/web/20161004020050/http://apsa2011.com/apsanew/old-aleppo-tunnels-were-exploded-and-bombings-with-tnt-barrels/. 4 October 2016. 20 May 2017. dead.
  33. News: Damage Assessment of Aleppo, Aleppo Governorate, Syria (10 Jul 2015). 22 July 2015. 9 December 2016. en. ReliefWeb.
  34. News: ASOR Cultural Heritage Initiatives Weekly Report 38 (April 27, 2015). 28 May 2015. 3 January 2017. en-US. ASOR Cultural Heritage Initiatives.
  35. Web site: UNESCO reports on extensive damage in first emergency assessment mission to Aleppo. Centre. UNESCO World Heritage. whc.unesco.org. en. 5 June 2018.
  36. Web site: The Waqf of Ibshir Mustafa Pasha – Damage Assessment تقييم الضرر. Stiftung Gerda Henkel. August 2017. L.I.S.A. WISSENSCHAFTSPORTAL GERDA HENKEL STIFTUNG. EN. 14 June 2019.
  37. Web site: Al-Judayda Churches Rapid Damage Assessment. Rami Al-Afandi, Issam Ballouz, Alaa Haddad, York Rieffel. The Churches of the Judayda Quarter. 13 February 2020.
  38. Web site: Jean Claude . David . The Battle of Aleppo (2012–2016): Destruction of the Ghazala House (Beit Ghazaleh) . 2023-07-12 . Syrian-Heritage Archive - Museum for Islamic Art/ Staatliche Museen zu Berlin . en-US.
  39. Web site: 27 June 2019. Pro-Iran Militants Loot Aleppo's Antiquities. 7 September 2020. The Syrian Observer.
  40. Syrian Heritage Archive Project – Aleppo Project . Rami Alafandi . September 2018 . Report on the missing wooden interiors (ʿajami rooms) of the historic house Bayt Ghazala in Aleppo/Syria .
  41. News: Can technology help restore Syria's lost archaeological heritage?. The National. 9 October 2018. en.
  42. Web site: Can We Rebuild Aleppo Using New Technologies?. There. Out. www.outthere.fr. 9 October 2018.
  43. News: Aleppo's Old City can be rebuilt: UNESCO. 4 August 2017. The Daily Star Newspaper – Lebanon. 5 June 2018. 9 October 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181009132204/http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2017/Aug-04/414934-aleppos-old-city-can-be-rebuilt-unesco.ashx. dead.
  44. News: Slowly but steadily, Aleppians remove debris from streets, thanks to @UndpSyria @swissDev @JapanGov paving the way for livelihoods and economic activity coming back to this majestic city. Sergei Pushkarev. Twitter. 9 October 2018. en.
  45. Kousa. Christine. Pottgiesser. Uta. 1 January 2019. Post Syrian-war material recovery, reuse and transformation in the Old City of Aleppo. Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development. 10. 1. 90–103. 10.1108/JCHMSD-07-2019-0085. 213163281 . 2044-1266.
  46. Web site: Bassam Janji. Oct 2021. Al Jedaydé_1-4. 2021-12-09. Vimeo. en.
  47. Qudsi. Jwanah. Rebuilding Old Aleppo Postwar Sustainable Recovery and Urban Refugee Resettlement. en.
  48. Web site: hybah. 2021-01-23. Rehabilitation of al-Hatab square in old Aleppo with cost of SYP200 million. 2021-12-09. Syrian Arab News Agency. en-US.

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