The project of state formation in the region is still ongoing. In its contemporary history, following the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the region has undergone several major upheavals, with local and international wars a continual feature from the beginning of the 20th century until the present.

Local wars have destroyed the central markets in many urban hubs in the region–including Homs, Aleppo, Mosul–but they did not stop market activities. War has reshaped local ...