This aerial view shows a destroyed traditional market area in Aleppo on December 11, 2024. Aleppo’s Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986, was devastated during the conflict that began in 2011, with intense battles between Syrian forces and rebels from 2012 to 2016, leaving its population of 2.1 million nearly emptied after a brutal siege. Now, after Assad's fall following a lightning rebel offensive led by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, residents are looking forward to reconstruction. (Photo by Ozan KOSE / AFP) / To go with 'Syria-conflict-history-heritage'