Aleppo: Every morning, 91-year-old Rizkullah Abd takes his place among the crowded shelves of his small bookshop in the Syrian city of Aleppo, continuing a mission he began nearly four decades ago: to rescue rare and forgotten books from disappearing.

According to Anadolu Agency, Abd's shop, located in Aleppo's Tilel district, contains works that are no longer found in many modern libraries. His collection includes rare manuscripts, lithographic editions, and volumes printed over a century ago, with texts in Arabic, French, English, and German. This diverse range has made the shop a frequent destination for students, researchers, and book lovers in search of out-of-circulation works.

Some of the books bear the marks of age, with damaged covers, missing pages, or worn bindings. Abd nevertheless continues to preserve them because of their historical and cultural significance. "Saving rare works from disappearing is a responsibility for me," he told Anadolu.

Throughout the years, his collection has become an invaluable resource for Aleppo, often helping visitors discover books they have been seeking for decades. Abd's dedication goes beyond mere commerce; he views his work as a way to protect Aleppo's cultural memory and pass on knowledge to future generations. "I collect and preserve books that people no longer care about, that have been abandoned or are in danger of disappearing, and I make them available to those who want to benefit from them," he said.

Currently, Abd estimates that his collection contains approximately 1 million books, amassed over decades. Despite his advanced age, he remains personally involved in finding books for customers and protecting the rare works filling his shelves. He asks for strength to continue his mission of collecting and preserving these literary treasures.

For Abd, the volumes are not merely objects but traces of past generations that must be safeguarded and made accessible to future ones. His modest shop has remained a steady repository of Aleppo's intellectual and cultural history, surviving through decades of citywide changes and upheavals.

Yet, behind Abd's dedication lies a deep personal sorrow. One of his sons was forcibly disappeared in 2012, and the family has received no information regarding his whereabouts since. As he continues his daily routine of preserving books, Abd holds onto the hope of finding out what happened to his son, waiting for any information that might come to light.