Aleppo (Alep), SYRIA: A man smokes his water pipe in front of the Aleppo citadel, an Islamic landmark and the most prominent historic architectural site in Aleppo, as the city is inaugurated today as the Arab world's Islamic cultural capital, 18 March 2006. Syrian Culture Minister Riad Nassan Agha said yesterday Aleppo was chosen by the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) because of its role as the "main point of passage between East and West." AFP PHOTO/RAMZI HAIDAR (Photo credit should read RAMZI HAIDAR/AFP via Getty Images)
