Hala Gorani on the Women Rebuilding Syria

Hala Gorani reflects on meeting the women architects rebuilding Aleppo’s war-ravaged old city, and how their quiet, community-driven efforts offer a more meaningful vision for Syria’s future. She writes: Dima Dayoub started working in Syria with the Aga Khan Development Network and is now the Aleppo lead of Turquoise Mountain - a charity founded by Kind Charles III. Though she seems reserved at first, keeping her hands tucked away in the pockets of a beige raincoat, it becomes clear that her restraint is intentional, a careful search for precision rather than reticence. Perhaps it reflects the way she approaches architecture itself: tackling massive challenges layer by layer, with patience, and a view toward bringing life back to the old medina. “This is about what’s around the iconic sites. It’s about the urban fabric of the city,” she says of her work. Rama Omar is another female architect working with the Aga Khan Foundation, an organisation that has been present in Syria for over 25 years. There are many such women on the front lines of the daunting task of bringing old Aleppo back from the ashes. A woman in a field largely dominated by men, she reflects on how even the worst tragedies can lead to unexpected places. “If there is a silver lining to war, it’s that woman become more visible in the labour market and become more independent. Because they had to,” she says, an all-man construction crew working behind her.