Aleppo

Aleppo
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The Ancient City of Aleppo has been ruled, among the other, by Romans, Byzantines, Seljuqs, Mamluks and Ottomans. It is one of the oldest inhabited cities in history.

It knew human settlement since the eleventh millennium B.C. through the residential houses which were discovered in Al-Qaramel Hill. It occupies a strategic trading point midway between the sea and the Euphrates. The main role of the city was as a trading place.

The historic buildings that remain include the Citadel and several medrassahs dating from the 12th and 13th centuries, and numerous mansions, palaces, churches and mosques that were added until the 19th century.

1 Locations 2 Reviews 8 Ratings 48 Connections 85 Visitors In Danger

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Tom Allen

England - 14-Dec-08 -

There has always been a strong rivalry between Aleppo and Damascus. For me though, Aleppo (based on my visit in 2004) has more charm and is more relaxing. It's less touristy and has some amazing restaurants in its ancient quarter. The day trip from Aleppo to Latakia on the coast was a bit of an anticlimax... better to stay in Aleppo if you have the time.

Solivagant

UK - 10-Jun-05 -

Aleppo by Solivagant

Aleppo is well worth a day of anyone’s time. With a range of buildings both monumental and everyday from between the 12th and 17th centuries it has been inscribed for its “its cohesive unique urban fabric”. Well, I don’t know about that but it did feel quite “Middle Eastern” and “Arabic” to me. The highlights are the citadel (photo) and the covered souqs. The museum has some superb Hittite statues. Although it has a population of almost 2 million the main sights are within reasonable walking distance of each other. We thought the “famed” Baron Hotel with its “period” (some would say “grotty” –though it may have been renovated since we were there a few years ago!) furnishings and the signature of Lawrence of Arabia in the visitor’s book somewhat overpriced – worth having a look round but there are plenty of other hotels in the area (which is certainly convenient for the historic sights).

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Site Info

Full Name
Ancient City of Aleppo
Unesco ID
21
Country
Syria
Inscribed
1986 - In Danger
Type
Cultural
Criteria
3 4
Categories
Urban landscape - Arabic and Middle Eastern
Link
By ID

Site History

2013 In Danger

Together with all 5 other Syrian WHS, due to Civil War

1986 Inscribed

1983 Deferred

Deferred as conditions under which recommendation made not yet fulfilled

1982 Deferred

Syria asked to provide more info and a better Urbanization policy

1980 Deferred

1979 Deferred

Bureau - lack of documentation or Info

1978 Deferred

Site Links

Unesco Website
Ancient City of Aleppo
Official Website

Aleppo

Related

The lure of Aleppo

In the News

Is reconstruction of Aleppo's Grand Mosque whitewashing history? (10.05.18)

The slow destruction of the Aleppo citadel (25.11.15)

Syria civil war: Bomb damages Aleppo's ancient citadel (12.07.15)

13th century Al-Sultaniyah Madrasa (Aleppo) appears to have been destroyed (14.12.14)

Assessment of destruction at Syria's WHS using satellite imagery (27.09.14)

Ancient Aleppo minaret destroyed (24.04.13)

Great Mosque of Aleppo is war's latest victim (16.10.12)

Fire destroys parts of Aleppo's medieval souks (29.09.12)

Aleppo citadel hit by shelling, says opposition (12.08.12)

Locations

The site has 1 locations

Aleppo

Connections

The site has

Architecture
Designed by Mimar Sinan: Khusruwiyah Mosque (one of Sinan's early works)
Medina
Urban fabric
Constructions
Tell: Mound of Al-Aquabah (which probably constitues the Tel of ancient Aleb)
Bazaars and Market Halls: Souk
Caravanserai: Kourt Bey Khan (or Qurtbek Khan), was completed in 1540 by the Ottomans
Mausolea: Mausoleum of Kheir Bey (1514), commissioned by the namesake Mamluk officer
Triumphal Arches: Al-Tuteh Mosque includes an ancient Roman triumpal arch.
Libraries: National Library of Aleppo
Freestanding Bell Tower: Armenian Cathedral
Notable minarets: Great Mosque of Aleppo: it has a Seljuk minaret which was completed in 1090
Baths: hammam Yalbougha al-Nasiri
Hospitals: Bimaristan Arghoun
Damaged
Cultural sites damaged by fire since inscription: Al-Madina Souq (sept 2012)
Damaged in War since WWII: Syrian Civil War. "In Aleppo, one of the oldest covered marketplaces in the world is now in ruins; its maze of stone streets has been one of the most intense battlefields in the country for the past 18 months, bombed from above by air force jets and chipped away at ground level by close quarter battles ......Those who dare raise their heads above the ruins, towards the ancient citadel that stands at the centre of the city, can also see damage to several of its walls." The Ummayad Mosque is also destroyed
History
Byzantine Empire and Civilization
Silk Road
Assyrian Empire
Babylonian Empire
The Crusades: The Citadel of "Aleppo" is a major component of the WHS and has a significant connection with "The Crusades".
Sieges and Battles: By Saladin
Mamluk Sultanate: Rebuilt the city in the late 13th century (Great Mosque, Citadel) and constructed the Altinbugna Mosque (1318-1323)
Umayyad Caliphate: Mixture of buildings including the Ummayad Mosque of Aleppo, built on the orders of the Ummayad caliphs
Ottoman Empire: Ruled by Ottomans, remains of that era include Ahmadiyya Madrasa, Ahmad Pasha Khan, Adiliyya Mosque and other mosques and residences
Hittites: "The Hittite Suppiluliumas I permanently defeated Mitanni and conquered Aleppo in the 14th century BCE. Aleppo had cultic importance to the Hittites for being the centre of worship of the Storm-God.". The Storm God Temple on Aleppo Tel was excavated from 1996. It both pre and postdated the Hittite period but, among the discoveries, were Hittite carvings and hieroglyphics
Oldest continuously inhabited cities: Aleppo, Chalcolithic (4,300 BC or earlier)
Individual People
Timur
Gertrude Bell: Photo taken February 1909
Saladin: Besieged 1182
Baibars: occupied it in 1261
Johann Ludwig Burckhardt: Burkhardt's base from 1809/12 after being accepted by the "Association for Promoting the Discovery of the Interior Parts of Africa" or "African Association" to penetrate the central and western Sudan. Perfected his Arabic there, adopted an Arabian persona and probably genuinely converted to Islam.
Ibn Battuta: "Halab [Aleppo] is one of the most illustrious of cities, and one which has no rival in beauty of plan and perfection of arrangement, and in the spaciousness and symmetrical disposition of the bazaars"
Religion and Belief
Jewish religion and culture: Central Synagogue
Armenian Orthodox Church: Armenian Gregorian Cathedral
Mosque: 12th-century Great Mosque
Cathedrals: Cathedral of the Forty Martyrs
Syriac Churches: Mar Assia Al-Hakim is Syriac Catholic
Sufism: Khanqah AL-Farafira, a 13th century sufi monastery built in 1237. (wiki)
Eastern Catholic Churches: Mar Assia Al-Hakim is Syriac Catholic
Tombs of Biblical Figures: The Great Mosque - The tomb of Zechariah Father of John the Baptist (not to be confused with the Old Testament prophet of same/similar name). He is mentioned in both the Bible (Luke 1:67-79) and the Quran. Muslim tradition places his tomb in the Great Mosque of Aleppo. See
Timeline
Built in the 12th century: "Aleppo is an outstanding example of an Ayyubid 12th century city"
Trivia
In the Pergamon museum: Aleppo room
WHS on Other Lists
Global Heritage Fund: Threat level: at risk
World Monuments Watch (past): Cultural Heritage Sites of Syria (2014), Citadel of Aleppo (2002)
Memory of the World: Aleppo Codex (2015) - "It is rumoured that in 1375 one of Maimonides' descendants brought it to Aleppo, Syria, leading to its present name" (wiki)
World Monuments Watch: Souk of Aleppo (2018)
World Heritage Process
Inscribed at third attempt or more: Def 1979, Def 1980, Def 1982, Def 1983, Ins 1986

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