Over the past sixteen years, the disastrous war in Syria has claimed approximately 400,000 lives, most of them civilians. Survivors have fled toward what they hope will be a safer existence. Border camps have become a new reality and a new form of urbanity for those fleeing Aleppo. Hastily constructed but inhabited for years, refugee camps have developed into their own type of city.

Some of the settlements along the Syria–Turkey border, created for those fleeing the violence, are formal efforts established by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other non-governmental organizations. Others are informal villages that have emerged out of desperate need. However, there is no clear distinction between the two: formal settlements often develop from informal ones, while informal areas grow around formal establishments.

The camps along the Syria–Turkey border, located on the route from Aleppo toward Turkey and beyond, represent a form of urbanism that has emerged as a direct consequence of conflict. The rapidly growing population of the refugee camps has led to their unplanned expansion, affecting living conditions, community life, and the environment for countless people.