The Rise and Fall of Alexandria

The Rise and Fall of Alexandria

Author: Justin Pollard

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2007-10-30

Total Pages: 356

ISBN-13: 9780143112518

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A short history of nearly everything classical. The foundations of the modern world were laid in Alexandria of Egypt at the turn of the first millennium. In this compulsively readable narrative, Justin Pollard and Howard Reid bring one of history's most fascinating and prolific cities to life, creating a treasure trove of our intellectual and cultural origins. Famous for its lighthouse, its library-the greatest in antiquity-and its fertile intellectual and spiritual life--it was here that Christianity and Islam came to prominence as world religions--Alexandria now takes its rightful place alongside Greece and Rome as a titan of the ancient world. Sparkling with fresh insights on science, philosophy, culture, and invention, this is an irresistible, eye- opening delight.


Book Synopsis The Rise and Fall of Alexandria by : Justin Pollard

Download or read book The Rise and Fall of Alexandria written by Justin Pollard and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2007-10-30 with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A short history of nearly everything classical. The foundations of the modern world were laid in Alexandria of Egypt at the turn of the first millennium. In this compulsively readable narrative, Justin Pollard and Howard Reid bring one of history's most fascinating and prolific cities to life, creating a treasure trove of our intellectual and cultural origins. Famous for its lighthouse, its library-the greatest in antiquity-and its fertile intellectual and spiritual life--it was here that Christianity and Islam came to prominence as world religions--Alexandria now takes its rightful place alongside Greece and Rome as a titan of the ancient world. Sparkling with fresh insights on science, philosophy, culture, and invention, this is an irresistible, eye- opening delight.


The Rise and Fall of Alexandria

The Rise and Fall of Alexandria

Author: Justin Pollard

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2007-10-30

Total Pages: 353

ISBN-13: 0143112511

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A short history of nearly everything classical. The foundations of the modern world were laid in Alexandria of Egypt at the turn of the first millennium. In this compulsively readable narrative, Justin Pollard and Howard Reid bring one of history's most fascinating and prolific cities to life, creating a treasure trove of our intellectual and cultural origins. Famous for its lighthouse, its library-the greatest in antiquity-and its fertile intellectual and spiritual life--it was here that Christianity and Islam came to prominence as world religions--Alexandria now takes its rightful place alongside Greece and Rome as a titan of the ancient world. Sparkling with fresh insights on science, philosophy, culture, and invention, this is an irresistible, eye- opening delight.


Book Synopsis The Rise and Fall of Alexandria by : Justin Pollard

Download or read book The Rise and Fall of Alexandria written by Justin Pollard and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2007-10-30 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A short history of nearly everything classical. The foundations of the modern world were laid in Alexandria of Egypt at the turn of the first millennium. In this compulsively readable narrative, Justin Pollard and Howard Reid bring one of history's most fascinating and prolific cities to life, creating a treasure trove of our intellectual and cultural origins. Famous for its lighthouse, its library-the greatest in antiquity-and its fertile intellectual and spiritual life--it was here that Christianity and Islam came to prominence as world religions--Alexandria now takes its rightful place alongside Greece and Rome as a titan of the ancient world. Sparkling with fresh insights on science, philosophy, culture, and invention, this is an irresistible, eye- opening delight.


Hidden History of Alexandria,

Hidden History of Alexandria,

Author: Michael Lee Pope

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2011-09-23

Total Pages: 160

ISBN-13: 1614232709

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This groundbreaking history uncovers a long-forgotten period in the 19th century when Alexandria left the commonwealth of Virginia and became incorporated into the fledgling District of Columbia. It was an experiment that failed after half a century of neglect and a growing animosity between North and South. However, it was a fascinating time when cannon were dragged onto city streets for political rallies, candidates plied their voters with liquor and devastating fires ravaged the city.


Book Synopsis Hidden History of Alexandria, by : Michael Lee Pope

Download or read book Hidden History of Alexandria, written by Michael Lee Pope and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2011-09-23 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This groundbreaking history uncovers a long-forgotten period in the 19th century when Alexandria left the commonwealth of Virginia and became incorporated into the fledgling District of Columbia. It was an experiment that failed after half a century of neglect and a growing animosity between North and South. However, it was a fascinating time when cannon were dragged onto city streets for political rallies, candidates plied their voters with liquor and devastating fires ravaged the city.


The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt

The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt

Author: Toby Wilkinson

Publisher: Random House

Published: 2011-03-15

Total Pages: 792

ISBN-13: 0679604294

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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Magisterial . . . [A] rich portrait of ancient Egypt’s complex evolution over the course of three millenniums.”—Los Angeles Times NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Washington Post • Publishers Weekly In this landmark volume, one of the world’s most renowned Egyptologists tells the epic story of this great civilization, from its birth as the first nation-state to its absorption into the Roman Empire. Drawing upon forty years of archaeological research, award-winning scholar Toby Wilkinson takes us inside a tribal society with a pre-monetary economy and decadent, divine kings who ruled with all-too-recognizable human emotions. Here are the legendary leaders: Akhenaten, the “heretic king,” who with his wife Nefertiti brought about a revolution with a bold new religion; Tutankhamun, whose dazzling tomb would remain hidden for three millennia; and eleven pharaohs called Ramesses, the last of whom presided over the militarism, lawlessness, and corruption that caused a political and societal decline. Filled with new information and unique interpretations, The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt is a riveting and revelatory work of wild drama, bold spectacle, unforgettable characters, and sweeping history. “With a literary flair and a sense for a story well told, Mr. Wilkinson offers a highly readable, factually up-to-date account.”—The Wall Street Journal “[Wilkinson] writes with considerable verve. . . . [He] is nimble at conveying the sumptuous pageantry and cultural sophistication of pharaonic Egypt.”—The New York Times


Book Synopsis The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt by : Toby Wilkinson

Download or read book The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt written by Toby Wilkinson and published by Random House. This book was released on 2011-03-15 with total page 792 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Magisterial . . . [A] rich portrait of ancient Egypt’s complex evolution over the course of three millenniums.”—Los Angeles Times NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Washington Post • Publishers Weekly In this landmark volume, one of the world’s most renowned Egyptologists tells the epic story of this great civilization, from its birth as the first nation-state to its absorption into the Roman Empire. Drawing upon forty years of archaeological research, award-winning scholar Toby Wilkinson takes us inside a tribal society with a pre-monetary economy and decadent, divine kings who ruled with all-too-recognizable human emotions. Here are the legendary leaders: Akhenaten, the “heretic king,” who with his wife Nefertiti brought about a revolution with a bold new religion; Tutankhamun, whose dazzling tomb would remain hidden for three millennia; and eleven pharaohs called Ramesses, the last of whom presided over the militarism, lawlessness, and corruption that caused a political and societal decline. Filled with new information and unique interpretations, The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt is a riveting and revelatory work of wild drama, bold spectacle, unforgettable characters, and sweeping history. “With a literary flair and a sense for a story well told, Mr. Wilkinson offers a highly readable, factually up-to-date account.”—The Wall Street Journal “[Wilkinson] writes with considerable verve. . . . [He] is nimble at conveying the sumptuous pageantry and cultural sophistication of pharaonic Egypt.”—The New York Times


Alexandria

Alexandria

Author: Theodore Vrettos

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2010-06-15

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 1451603487

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Alexandria was the greatest cultural capital of the ancient world. Accomplished classicist and author Theodore Vrettos now tells its story for the first time in a single volume. His enchanting blend of literary and scholarly qualities makes stories that played out among architectural wonders of the ancient world come alive. His fascinating central contention that this amazing metropolis created the western mind can now take its place in cultural history. Vrettos describes how and why the brilliant minds of the ages -- Greek scholars, Roman emperors, Jewish leaders, and fathers of the Christian Church -- all traveled to the shining port city Alexander the Great founded in 332 B.C. at the mouth of the mighty Nile. There they enjoyed learning from an extraordinary population of peaceful citizens whose rich intellectual life would quietly build the science, art, faith, and even politics of western civilization. No one has previously argued that, unlike the renowned military centers of the Mediterranean such as Rome, Carthage, and Sparta, Alexandria was a city of the mind. In a brief section on the great conqueror and founder Alexander, we learn that he himself was a student of Aristotle. In Part Two of his majestic story, Vrettos shows that in the sciences the city witnessed an explosion: Aristarchus virtually invented modern astronomy; Euclid wrote the elements of geometry and founded mathematics; amazingly, Eratosthenes precisely figured the circumference of the earth; and 2,500 years before Freud, the renowned Alexandrian physician Erasistratus identified a mysterious connection between sexual problems and nervous breakdowns. What could so cerebral a community care about geopolitics? As Vrettos explains in the third part of this epic saga, if Rome wanted power and prestige in the Mediterranean, the emperors had to secure the good will of the ruling class in Alexandria. Julius Caesar brought down the Roman Republic, and then almost immediately had to go to Alexandria to secure his power base. So begins a wonderfully told story of political intrigue that doesn't end until the Battle of Actium in 33 B.C. when Augustus Caesar defeated the first power couple, Anthony and Cleopatra. The fourth part of Alexandria focuses on the sphere of religion, and for Vrettos its center is the famous Alexandrian Library. The chief librarian commissioned the Septuagint, the oldest Greek version of the Old Testament, which was completed by Jewish intellectuals. Local church fathers Clement and Origen were key players in the development of Christianity; and the Coptic religion, with its emphasis on personal knowledge of God, flourished. Vrettos has blended compelling stories with astute historical insight. Having read all the ancient sources in Ancient Greek, Hebrew, and Latin himself, he has an expert's knowledge of the everyday reality of his characters and setting. No reader will ever forget walking with him down this lost city's beautiful, dazzling streets.


Book Synopsis Alexandria by : Theodore Vrettos

Download or read book Alexandria written by Theodore Vrettos and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2010-06-15 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Alexandria was the greatest cultural capital of the ancient world. Accomplished classicist and author Theodore Vrettos now tells its story for the first time in a single volume. His enchanting blend of literary and scholarly qualities makes stories that played out among architectural wonders of the ancient world come alive. His fascinating central contention that this amazing metropolis created the western mind can now take its place in cultural history. Vrettos describes how and why the brilliant minds of the ages -- Greek scholars, Roman emperors, Jewish leaders, and fathers of the Christian Church -- all traveled to the shining port city Alexander the Great founded in 332 B.C. at the mouth of the mighty Nile. There they enjoyed learning from an extraordinary population of peaceful citizens whose rich intellectual life would quietly build the science, art, faith, and even politics of western civilization. No one has previously argued that, unlike the renowned military centers of the Mediterranean such as Rome, Carthage, and Sparta, Alexandria was a city of the mind. In a brief section on the great conqueror and founder Alexander, we learn that he himself was a student of Aristotle. In Part Two of his majestic story, Vrettos shows that in the sciences the city witnessed an explosion: Aristarchus virtually invented modern astronomy; Euclid wrote the elements of geometry and founded mathematics; amazingly, Eratosthenes precisely figured the circumference of the earth; and 2,500 years before Freud, the renowned Alexandrian physician Erasistratus identified a mysterious connection between sexual problems and nervous breakdowns. What could so cerebral a community care about geopolitics? As Vrettos explains in the third part of this epic saga, if Rome wanted power and prestige in the Mediterranean, the emperors had to secure the good will of the ruling class in Alexandria. Julius Caesar brought down the Roman Republic, and then almost immediately had to go to Alexandria to secure his power base. So begins a wonderfully told story of political intrigue that doesn't end until the Battle of Actium in 33 B.C. when Augustus Caesar defeated the first power couple, Anthony and Cleopatra. The fourth part of Alexandria focuses on the sphere of religion, and for Vrettos its center is the famous Alexandrian Library. The chief librarian commissioned the Septuagint, the oldest Greek version of the Old Testament, which was completed by Jewish intellectuals. Local church fathers Clement and Origen were key players in the development of Christianity; and the Coptic religion, with its emphasis on personal knowledge of God, flourished. Vrettos has blended compelling stories with astute historical insight. Having read all the ancient sources in Ancient Greek, Hebrew, and Latin himself, he has an expert's knowledge of the everyday reality of his characters and setting. No reader will ever forget walking with him down this lost city's beautiful, dazzling streets.


The Architecture of Alexandria and Egypt, C. 300 B.C. to A.D. 700

The Architecture of Alexandria and Egypt, C. 300 B.C. to A.D. 700

Author: Judith McKenzie

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 2007-01-01

Total Pages: 492

ISBN-13: 9780300115550

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This masterful history of the monumental architecture of Alexandria, as well as of the rest of Egypt, encompasses an entire millennium—from the city’s founding by Alexander the Great in 331 B.C. to the years just after the Islamic conquest of A.D. 642. Long considered lost beyond recall, the architecture of ancient Alexandria has until now remained mysterious. But here Judith McKenzie shows that it is indeed possible to reconstruct the city and many of its buildings by means of meticulous exploration of archaeological remains, written sources, and an array of other fragmentary evidence. The book approaches its subject at the macro- and the micro-level: from city-planning, building types, and designs to architectural style. It addresses the interaction between the imported Greek and native Egyptian traditions; the relations between the architecture of Alexandria and the other cities and towns of Egypt as well as the wider Mediterranean world; and Alexandria’s previously unrecognized role as a major source of architectural innovation and artistic influence. Lavishly illustrated with new plans of the city in the Ptolemaic, Roman, and Byzantine periods; reconstruction drawings; and photographs, the book brings to life the ancient city and uncovers the true extent of its architectural legacy in the Mediterranean world.


Book Synopsis The Architecture of Alexandria and Egypt, C. 300 B.C. to A.D. 700 by : Judith McKenzie

Download or read book The Architecture of Alexandria and Egypt, C. 300 B.C. to A.D. 700 written by Judith McKenzie and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2007-01-01 with total page 492 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This masterful history of the monumental architecture of Alexandria, as well as of the rest of Egypt, encompasses an entire millennium—from the city’s founding by Alexander the Great in 331 B.C. to the years just after the Islamic conquest of A.D. 642. Long considered lost beyond recall, the architecture of ancient Alexandria has until now remained mysterious. But here Judith McKenzie shows that it is indeed possible to reconstruct the city and many of its buildings by means of meticulous exploration of archaeological remains, written sources, and an array of other fragmentary evidence. The book approaches its subject at the macro- and the micro-level: from city-planning, building types, and designs to architectural style. It addresses the interaction between the imported Greek and native Egyptian traditions; the relations between the architecture of Alexandria and the other cities and towns of Egypt as well as the wider Mediterranean world; and Alexandria’s previously unrecognized role as a major source of architectural innovation and artistic influence. Lavishly illustrated with new plans of the city in the Ptolemaic, Roman, and Byzantine periods; reconstruction drawings; and photographs, the book brings to life the ancient city and uncovers the true extent of its architectural legacy in the Mediterranean world.


Hypatia of Alexandria

Hypatia of Alexandria

Author: Maria Dzielska

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 1995

Total Pages: 182

ISBN-13: 9780674437760

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Hypatia—brilliant mathematician, eloquent Neoplatonist, and a woman renowned for her beauty—was brutally murdered by a mob of Christians in Alexandria in 415. She has been a legend ever since. In this engrossing book, Maria Dzielska searches behind the legend to bring us the real story of Hypatia's life and death, and new insight into her colorful world. Historians and poets, Victorian novelists and contemporary feminists have seen Hypatia as a symbol—of the waning of classical culture and freedom of inquiry, of the rise of fanatical Christianity, or of sexual freedom. Dzielska shows us why versions of Hypatia's legend have served her champions' purposes, and how they have distorted the true story. She takes us back to the Alexandria of Hypatia's day, with its Library and Museion, pagan cults and the pontificate of Saint Cyril, thriving Jewish community and vibrant Greek culture, and circles of philosophers, mathematicians, astronomers, and militant Christians. Drawing on the letters of Hypatia's most prominent pupil, Synesius of Cyrene, Dzielska constructs a compelling picture of the young philosopher's disciples and her teaching. Finally she plumbs her sources for the facts surrounding Hypatia's cruel death, clarifying what the murder tells us about the tensions of this tumultuous era.


Book Synopsis Hypatia of Alexandria by : Maria Dzielska

Download or read book Hypatia of Alexandria written by Maria Dzielska and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 1995 with total page 182 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hypatia—brilliant mathematician, eloquent Neoplatonist, and a woman renowned for her beauty—was brutally murdered by a mob of Christians in Alexandria in 415. She has been a legend ever since. In this engrossing book, Maria Dzielska searches behind the legend to bring us the real story of Hypatia's life and death, and new insight into her colorful world. Historians and poets, Victorian novelists and contemporary feminists have seen Hypatia as a symbol—of the waning of classical culture and freedom of inquiry, of the rise of fanatical Christianity, or of sexual freedom. Dzielska shows us why versions of Hypatia's legend have served her champions' purposes, and how they have distorted the true story. She takes us back to the Alexandria of Hypatia's day, with its Library and Museion, pagan cults and the pontificate of Saint Cyril, thriving Jewish community and vibrant Greek culture, and circles of philosophers, mathematicians, astronomers, and militant Christians. Drawing on the letters of Hypatia's most prominent pupil, Synesius of Cyrene, Dzielska constructs a compelling picture of the young philosopher's disciples and her teaching. Finally she plumbs her sources for the facts surrounding Hypatia's cruel death, clarifying what the murder tells us about the tensions of this tumultuous era.


The Rise and Fall of Alexander Hamilton

The Rise and Fall of Alexander Hamilton

Author: Robert A. Hendrickson

Publisher:

Published: 1985

Total Pages: 712

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis The Rise and Fall of Alexander Hamilton by : Robert A. Hendrickson

Download or read book The Rise and Fall of Alexander Hamilton written by Robert A. Hendrickson and published by . This book was released on 1985 with total page 712 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


Alexandria, the Golden City, Vol. I - The City of the Ptolemies

Alexandria, the Golden City, Vol. I - The City of the Ptolemies

Author: Harold T. Davis

Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing

Published: 2016-11-11

Total Pages: 357

ISBN-13: 1787202593

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Originally published in two volumes in 1957, this is the first volume devoted to the rich history of the ancient Egyptian city of Alexandria and focuses on the time of the Ptolemies. “This book is dedicated to the story of Alexandria, called by Athenaeus “the golden city.” The story of Athens has been told by many writers; the rise and fall of Home has been the favorite theme of the historians; but the city of Alexandria has never had an extensive biography. This is a curious fact, indeed, since Alexandria, founded in 332 B.C. by Alexander the Great, developed into regal magnificence under the Macedonian Ptolemies, and for nearly a thousand years was one of the most remarkable cities in the world. The infirmities of old age came upon it near the close of the Roman Empire and the weary city finally passed into oblivion about 646 A.D. when the Saracen invaders destroyed at last the monuments of its old-world glory. Thus stretches the biography of Alexandria across ten of the most interesting centuries in human history!” Richly illustrated throughout with maps, pictures and figures.


Book Synopsis Alexandria, the Golden City, Vol. I - The City of the Ptolemies by : Harold T. Davis

Download or read book Alexandria, the Golden City, Vol. I - The City of the Ptolemies written by Harold T. Davis and published by Pickle Partners Publishing. This book was released on 2016-11-11 with total page 357 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Originally published in two volumes in 1957, this is the first volume devoted to the rich history of the ancient Egyptian city of Alexandria and focuses on the time of the Ptolemies. “This book is dedicated to the story of Alexandria, called by Athenaeus “the golden city.” The story of Athens has been told by many writers; the rise and fall of Home has been the favorite theme of the historians; but the city of Alexandria has never had an extensive biography. This is a curious fact, indeed, since Alexandria, founded in 332 B.C. by Alexander the Great, developed into regal magnificence under the Macedonian Ptolemies, and for nearly a thousand years was one of the most remarkable cities in the world. The infirmities of old age came upon it near the close of the Roman Empire and the weary city finally passed into oblivion about 646 A.D. when the Saracen invaders destroyed at last the monuments of its old-world glory. Thus stretches the biography of Alexandria across ten of the most interesting centuries in human history!” Richly illustrated throughout with maps, pictures and figures.


Aleppo

Aleppo

Author: Philip Mansel

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2016-02-28

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 0857729241

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Every time gardens welcomed us, we said to them, Aleppo is our aim and you are merely the route.' Al-Mutanabbi Aleppo lies in ruins. Its streets are plunged in darkness, most of its population has fled. But this was once a vibrant world city, where Muslims, Christians and Jews lived and traded together in peace. Few places are as ancient and diverse as Aleppo – one of the oldest, continuously inhabited cities in the world – successively ruled by the Assyrian, Persian, Greek, Roman, Arab, Ottoman and French empires. Under the Ottomans, it became the empire's third largest city, after Constantinople and Cairo. It owed its wealth to its position at the end of the Silk Road, at a crossroads of world trade, where merchants from Venice, Isfahan and Agra gathered in the largest suq in the Middle East. Throughout the region, it was famous for its food and its music. For 400 years British and French consuls and merchants lived in Aleppo; many of their accounts are used here for the first time. In the first history of Aleppo in English, Dr Philip Mansel vividly describes its decline from a pinnacle of cultural and economic power, a poignant testament to a city shattered by Syria's civil war.


Book Synopsis Aleppo by : Philip Mansel

Download or read book Aleppo written by Philip Mansel and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2016-02-28 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Every time gardens welcomed us, we said to them, Aleppo is our aim and you are merely the route.' Al-Mutanabbi Aleppo lies in ruins. Its streets are plunged in darkness, most of its population has fled. But this was once a vibrant world city, where Muslims, Christians and Jews lived and traded together in peace. Few places are as ancient and diverse as Aleppo – one of the oldest, continuously inhabited cities in the world – successively ruled by the Assyrian, Persian, Greek, Roman, Arab, Ottoman and French empires. Under the Ottomans, it became the empire's third largest city, after Constantinople and Cairo. It owed its wealth to its position at the end of the Silk Road, at a crossroads of world trade, where merchants from Venice, Isfahan and Agra gathered in the largest suq in the Middle East. Throughout the region, it was famous for its food and its music. For 400 years British and French consuls and merchants lived in Aleppo; many of their accounts are used here for the first time. In the first history of Aleppo in English, Dr Philip Mansel vividly describes its decline from a pinnacle of cultural and economic power, a poignant testament to a city shattered by Syria's civil war.