I visited Syria in 1982 in order to help local architects in the design of Sport City in Aleppo. I was already slightly acquainted with Arab architecture due to my earlier short visit to the Emirates. But this time it was different, I had big projects to discuss and to put forward my architectural propositions, and it was in the urban context of this magnificent town with a rich cultural history. So I began to take afternoon walks in the town with my sketchbook. I stopped before every building that, according to my knowledge and my feeling, could help me better understand the local traditions and I made some quick black-and-white sketches. I was fascinated by some characteristic delicate stone details, by the meandering, narrow streets and by the slender minarets. The powerful citadel of Aleppo impressed me with its ramparts and towers.

Art of the Orient, Bd. 6 (2017): Art of the Orient