The CSN Lab is continuing its projects dedicated to memory studies, as well as strengthening cultural dialogue with various communities, in collaboration with the OHM - Oral History Matters initiative, hosted the book presentation of "A Life on the Streets of Aleppo" by Saghatel Basil on January 9th. This work is a unique documentation where the author, through his distinctive interpretation of space, opens a window into the urban landscape of Aleppo, mapping its multilayered environment and daily life.
The event began with a panel discussion featuring the author, Saghatel Basil; AUA associate professor, educationalist and oral historian Hourig Attarian, anthropologist Houry Pilibbossian, and literary critic Tigran Amiryan. Emphasizing the importance of this book from the perspective of documenting the Armenian community's experience, the panelists highlighted the necessity of preserving and recording individual and collective memory, especially in the context of political crises, wars, and displacement, which unfortunately seem unending in the region.
One of the key themes of the panel discussion was the numerous migration challenges faced by displaced communities, particularly issues related to the memory of the place. In this context, the panelists noted how crucial books and literature become in preserving the memory of a city, especially when the city undergoes continuous transformations due to conflicts and wars.
The book serves as a powerful testimony to a city that no longer exists as its inhabitants once knew it. Aleppo, deeply scarred by crises, natural disasters, and wars, continues to live on in the memories of its people. As Hourig Attarian emphasized, the book serves as an inspiration for documenting personal stories of displacement, which resonated deeply with the audience, many of whom had experienced multiple migrations. This discussion around the memory of physically lost or abandoned cities underscored the universal experiences of the attendees, once again highlighting the importance of preserving narratives.
One of the distinctive features of "A Life on the Streets of Aleppo" is the language used to describe Aleppo. Tigran Amiryan, founder of CSN Lab and literary scholar, characterized the literary work as "a book about local life, described in the local language, localizing the urban environment." It not only captures the essence of the city's physical spaces but also the daily lives and culture of its inhabitants, using their colloquial language. Thanks to a short reading by Hourig Attarian, attendees had the opportunity to hear this unique language.
The panel also included Houry Pilibbossian, an Aleppian anthropologist and author of the book's preface, who has dedicated a significant part of her research to studying Aleppo's cultural heritage, collecting extensive oral histories about Armenian Aleppo and creating a digital archive. Published with the support of the Gulbenkian Foundation, "A Life on the Streets of Aleppo" is another testament to the resilience of the Armenian community of Aleppo under difficult and challenging conditions. By hosting the book presentation, CSN Lab reaffirms its commitment to advocating for cultural rights. It is of utmost importance for us to address the issues raised in the book within the context of cultural rights and to emphasize not only the preservation of Aleppo's tangible cultural heritage, which is itself a highly relevant issue, but also the need to document and preserve the intangible cultural heritage, such as the language spoken in the homes and streets of Aleppo.