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Aleppo
is a charming city in northern Syria
recognized for being one of the
4 Syrian sites on the
UNESCO's world
Heritage list. Located at the crossroads
of several trade routes from the
2nd millennium B.C., and considered
one of the oldest inhabited cities
in the world, Aleppo was ruled successively
by the Hittites, Assyrians,
Arabs, Mongols, Mamelukes and Ottomans.
The main historical sites
in Aleppo are:
Aleppo Citadel:
The largest and the most impressive
historical monument in Aleppo.
It is situated at the center of
the city on a hill about 40 meters
high. It was built by Prince
Saif Al-Dawleh Al-Hamadany.
Its style combines austerity with
beauty. Beautiful towers are built
into the walls, its imposing entrance
is protected by metal doors, and
its fortifications are strengthened
by a deep moat.
 The Great Mosque:
Jami
Al- Kabir (The Great Mosque)
is the largest and one of the finest
in the city. The Mosque
was built in 1213 in the time of
the Omayyad Caliph Suleiman Ibn
Abdul Malek. Its notable features
are the beautiful square minaret,
its prayer niche (mihrab), and the
pulpit made of ebony inlaid with
ivory.
Aleppo Museum:
At Aleppo museum you will witness,
starting at the main entrance, a
temple gateway and a female sphinx
from the Iron Age Neo Hittite settlement
in Tell Khallaf. The first hall
exhibits statues and cuneiform slates
from Mari in the Bronze Age, including
some pieces discovered by Agatha
Christie's husband, Max Mallowan,
at the site of Tell Brak (Tell Khouwayra).
Further on, you will find a room
containing Bronze Age objects from
Hama and Ugarit.
 Saint
Simon:
In Arabic “Qalaat Seman”, which
bears the name of the ascetic Saint
Simon (4th century AD), who spent
forty-two years of his life here.
It’s isolated on the top of a column
that was several times made higher
(reaching up to about 20 m). It
is to be noted that at the foot
of the hill of Saint-Simon, a village:
Deir Semaan, relayed to the monastery
by a processional road, also housed
many pilgrims.
Brad Village:
Brad was the capital
city of Mount Sima’an (Simon). Its
ruins imply that it was a huge city
at Mar Maroun’s
time. The date of the construction
of its big church coincides with
the date upon which Mar
Maroun died, i.e. the early
years of the 5th century.
The monastery contains a small church
which is destroyed and it also contains
a building to accommodate the pilgrims,
the rest of the building residence
are destroyed, the oil compressor
is destroyed also. There is a destroyed
tower and there is a pillar for
the hermits.
The Ancient Covered Markets (Souks & Khans):
The Aleppo covered markets are
the longest in the world. They
are seven kilometers long
combined and have 39 market each
with its own trading specialty
of goods.
They run through 10 kilometres
of narrow streets. The souks
became known by the products
sold there. For example, the
perfume souk is called Souk Al-Attareen
and the jewelers’ souk is called
Souk Al- Saagha. Most of them
date from the 15th and 16th
centuries A.D. and can be
considered true popular museums.
Old Baths:
Aleppo has about 60 baths (hammam)
some of which were built more than
800 years ago. Hammam Yalbugha Al-
Nasseri, built in the 14th century,
was restored by the Ministry of
Tourism and has been open to the
public since 1985.
Most important baths in Aleppo
are AL Nuhassien, Al Bayad ,Al
Yalbagha, Al Nasiri, Azdamar, Al
Sultan and Al Jawahiri. They
were all builtBetween the 12''
and 15'' centuries.
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