Aleppo: Honestly, It's Complicated

okay, so aleppo. where do i even begin? it's… a lot. i’ve been trying to piece together what it’s like from a bunch of old reports and weather data, because, well, you know. it’s not exactly a straightforward travel destination right now. it feels weird even writing about it, like i’m peering into a past life or something.

it’s in northern syria, apparently the biggest city up there. sits on a plateau, which sounds…fine? a bit boring, honestly. but apparently it’s about 380-400 meters up, which i guess explains why the weather is what it is. speaking of which, i just checked and it's 9.77°C (that's about 49°F for those of us who aren't metric-inclined) right now, feels like 7°C, and it's not expected to get much warmer. hope you like that kind of thing. they get proper summers though, like scorching hot - up to 36-41.5°C (97-107°F). and apparently it’s dry. really dry. like, 45-58% humidity dry. bring lotion.

apparently it’s been inhabited for ages. like, seriously ancient. it used to be a big deal for trade, a crossroads between everywhere - the mediterranean, turkey, mesopotamia. during the french mandate, it was even more important, controlling a bunch of fertile land. someone told me that the old city, along the queiq river, was a unesco world heritage site, but… well, things have changed. i’ve seen pictures, and it looked beautiful, with all the souks and old buildings. pre-war, obviously.

if you get bored, gaziantep in turkey is just across the border, idlib is to the southwest, and raqqa is east if you’re feeling adventurous (though maybe don’t). antakya in turkey is also nearby, if you fancy a coastal trip. it’s all very…geographically convenient, i guess, if everything wasn’t, you know, a bit chaotic.

they’re famous for their food, apparently. lots of olives and pistachios, which makes sense given the farmland around. i wish i knew what specific dishes to look for, but the reports i found didn’t go into detail. it’s all “levantine cuisine with influences…” which isn’t super helpful when you’re trying to decide what to eat. the population used to be around 2.1 million, which is… a lot of people. now? who knows. it’s all very uncertain.

look, i’m not going to sugarcoat it. the reports all say “exercise extreme caution.” infrastructure damage, security risks, instability… it’s all there. and the weather isn’t helping. scorching summers, occasional snow in winter, and a constant need to manage water. it’s a tough place. but it’s also a place with a history, a culture, and people who are trying to rebuild. it’s a millennia-old trade hub, a city at the edge of the desert, and a place that’s clearly been through a lot. it’s… complicated. i don’t know if i’d recommend visiting right now, but i think it’s important to remember it exists, and to hope for a better future for the people who live there.

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