All in all, the year 2010 was a good one for Syrian tourism. New hotels were opening, visitors were increasing, and the word was getting out that the country had a tremendous amount to offer, both in its people and its history. The New York Times even began the year with an article in its travel section titled "Tourists Return to an Ancient Crossroads in Syria."

The year 2012, however, has so far been a tragedy for the country, and now news articles relating to Syria carry headlines like this: "Syria Bars Red Cross Convoy From Fallen Rebel Bastion".

Remembering better times in Syria, and with a desire to remind us all of the human faces and real people there, I'm posting below ten photographs taken in Aleppo over a two-day period in the summer of 2010:

Friendly face in the old city

Family at the Citadel

Two kids and their cups in the old city

Two men walking in the old city

Life in the plaza in front of the Citadel

Syrian ladies at a cafe

Father and son at their small store, moments before I paid for some Crest toothpaste

Young Syrians at a cafe watching the 2010 World Cup

Young boy dancing at his father's sidewalk workshop

Shoppers in the historic Aleppo souk

Joel Carillet, chief editor of Wandering Educators, is a freelance writer and photographer based in Tennessee. He is the author of 30 Reasons to Travel: Photographs and Reflections from Southeast Asia. To learn more about him or purchase his images, visit www.joelcarillet.com