As part of a series of urban development projects in Aleppo during the presidency of Hafez al-Assad , large parts of the Bab al-Nairab district were demolished to make way for new roads constructed through the Old City . Many of the city 's residents welcomed the plans , but a significant campaign , which attracted the support of a number of public figures , was launched against the demolitions . In 1977 the campaign successfully lobbied the Syrian Board of Antiquities to classify Bab al-Nairab as a historical landmark and a committee for the preservation of the district was established . Nonetheless , several leading members of the ruling Ba'ath Party and the governor of Aleppo insisted that the development plans were to move forward for the purpose of modernization . This conflict coincided with a tense period in Aleppo in light of the conflict between the outlawed Syrian Muslim Brotherhood and the authorities
conflict
Aleppo Artillery School massacre
Bab al-Nairab