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The aim of this paper is to analyze the development of the local economy of the Old City of Aleppo, which has been based mainly on traditional textile crafts since Ottoman times until now. Adopting a long-term historical perspective, it explains the key factors and mechanisms that over the past five centuries have determined the evolution of textile crafts and thus the dynamics of the area of the Old City where this activity is practiced. The analysis shows that even though traditional textile crafts have faced major difficulties over the last decades, they can still provide the basis for a territorial dynamic provided that an appropriate strategy is implemented by the public authorities, notably in connection with the development of the tourism industry in Aleppo and in the whole of Syria.