A SPECIAL literary event is taking place at the Tithe Barn in Symondsbury which will shed light upon one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities.

Historian Dr. Philip Mansel will talk about his latest book Aleppo – The Tragic Casualty of Syria’s Civil War.

Dr. Mansel's expertise embraces the Middle East and he has returned frequently to Aleppo since his first visit in 1969.

His book reveals the little known but vibrant history of Aleppo. Collating a rich array of contemporary accounts by British and French consuls and merchants who for 400 years regarded Aleppo as home, Dr. Mansel uncovers a cultural melting pot, formed in the Ottoman Empire – its souks, its food and its music.

At a crossroads of East and West, Aleppo was a city where Muslims, Christians and Jews lived and traded together in peace for five centuries. Now it is a city of devastation – a tragic casualty of civil war. Aleppo’s decline from a pinnacle of cultural and economic power is a poignant testament to a nation and a warning to other world cities.

Can Aleppo ever recover? Dr. Mansel discusses this and gives an illustrated and compelling talk about one of the Middle East’s greatest cities.

*The Friends of the Bridport Literary Festival host this event on Monday May 8 at 2.30 pm at The Tithe Barn, Symondsbury, Bridport DT6 6HG. Tickets are £12 to include a Dorset Cream Tea and are available from Bridport TIC or can be bought at The Tithe Barn on the day