Growing up in Aleppo, in the midst of such a great ancient civilization, has to leave its mark on you: the old market with the smells of spices, laurel soap and Aleppian za’atar, the beautiful colors and the impressive hand embroidered fabrics, the call for prayer emanating from the Umayyad Mosque on one side and only the best music the city has to offer (muwashah, qudud, and mawal) on the other.