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INTRODUCTION Over the past decades we have watched the widespread destruction of conflicts slowly move into the urban environment. The wars -which for many centuries were fought on fields located miles from any settlements- now appear on the streets of cities as residents watch buildings, monuments and spaces become as much targets as those structures holding the weapons. Thus, in the wake of these urbanised conflicts, the extent of the impact includes as much the cities and towns, left unable to function, as the human casualties and the survivors, for whom the urban landscape needs rebuilding. The immediate, and most obvious, reaction to this occurrence is to attempt to develop a plan for reconstruction as soon as the conflict subsides. This often follows an innate desire to see the return of homes which Sultan Bakarat identifies in determining the two basic needs for human recovery following conflict. These are: • To reaffirm a sense of identity and, • To regain control over one’s life. How though can the residents, the people of a nation, expect to find a sense of identity when a reconstructed city is returned to them unchanged, after years of war, when they themselves have changed so much? Therefore, this work intends to explore the notion that for Aleppo, one of the oldest cities in the world, and currently amidst the Syrian, reconstruction is neither the best nor the only option for approaching this war-torn city. For the past five years, Aleppo has been at the centre of the Rebel/Syrian Army conflict with the division running through the old city (Fig.2). As these frontlines have moved over the years, the whole city has been engulfed with much of the city’s infrastructure now under the Syrian Army’s control (South Front, 2015) and little domestic architecture left untouched. This has resulted in the mass migration of residents from both Aleppo, and Syria, with many reportedly selling their properties to fund their movement into Europe. With the news that 52% of those questioned in the 2015 survey of refugees by the Berlin Social Science Centre, would not return to Syria whilst Assad is in power, the question for the future of Aleppo is, who will return and what will they return to? (Pasha, 2015) Moreover, it is important to remember that if, and when, these refugees do return to the city, they will likely be subject to the severe class and religious divisions further dividing
