ALEPPO

RAQQA

DEIR AL-ZOR

HASAKEH

leppo:

The second capital of Syria (350 km north of Damascus), and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in history, Abraham is said to have camped on the acropolis which, long 1 his time, served as the foundation of a fortress (where the Aleppo citadel is standing now).

Ever since the 3rd millennium B.C., Aleppo has been a flourishing with a unique strategic position which gave the city a distinctive role from the days of the Akkadian and Amorite kingdoms until modern times. It was the meeting- point of several important commercial roads in the north. This enabled Aleppo to he the link in trade between Mesopotamia, the Fertile Crescent and Egypt. The Amorites made it their capital in the 18th centuries B.C.

This position however made it subject to invasion from various races; from Hittites, Egyptians, Assyrians, Persians Greeks and Romans. Aleppo was prominent in the Christian era; it became a Bishopric and a huge cathedral was built in it, which is still standing.

The conflict between Byzantium and Persia, however, resulted in the latter’s occupation of Aleppo in 440. The Persians robbed the city, burned considerable parts of it and damaged many of its features. Though expelled by Justinian, the Persians kept threatening Aleppo and frightened its inhabitants until the Arab Islamic conquest came in 636. The city then regained its status, both cultural and commercial. Apart from the Omayyad and Abbassid periods in which Aleppo flourished, the Hamadani state established by Sayf al-Dawla in 944 made Aleppo the northern capital of Syria.

Sayf al-Dawla built Aleppo’s famous citadel, and in his days the city enjoyed great prosperity and fame in science, literature and medicine, despite this leader’s military occupations. Mention should be made of the two most prominent poets, al-Mutanabbi and Abu Firas; of the philosopher and scientist, al-Farabi; and of the linguist, Ibn Kahlaweh, all of whom lived in Sayf al-Dawla’s court and were renowned for great knowledge and scholarship.

Aleppo was famous for its architecture; for its attractive churches, mosques, schools, tombs and baths, as an important center of trade between the eastern Mediterranean kingdoms and the merchants of Venice, Aleppo became prosperous and famous in the centuries preceding the Ottoman era. Many of its “khans” (caravanserai) are still in use even today; one of them is called “Banadiqa Khan”, “Banadiqa” in Arabic being the term for “inhabitants of Venice”.

In the Ottoman age, Aleppo remained an important center of trade with Turkey, France, England and Holland. This caused various types of European architecture to be adopted in Aleppo which can be seen in many buildings today.

The Aleppo Citadel:

50m above the city, a ring of crenellated walls and towers rises from a steep glacis, encircling a mass of ruins from every period. It has always been extremely important, both strategically and militarily.

The citadel’s fortified entrance is a marvelous example of Arab military architecture. On the north and south sides, great towers rise above the moat. This moat, 20m deep and 30m wide, emphasizes the fortress’s proud isolation.

The main parts of the citadel are: The throne room, the bathroom,

the small mosque (1brahim mosque), the great mosque built in 1213 whose square minaret is 21m high and from which can be seen a splendid view of the city. Inside the citadel, there is a small museum that contains relics uncovered during restoration and reconstruction.

Worth visiting also are the high walls of ancient Aleppo, with their fortified doors (Hadid, Antakia, and Qinsrin) which are also a fine example of Islamic military architecture.

Souqs and Commercial Khans:

In terms of spaciousness and originality, the covered souqs of Aleppo, which extend for more than 10km, are the most striking in any Islamic city. The souqs are named after the various crafts: hence, we find the souq of gold, the souq of copper, cotton, ECT. Traditionally, there is always a fountain in the center and sometimes a little garden planted with jasmine and roses. Most of these souqs date back to the 15th century. They are living museums which depict medieval life.

The khans (caravanserai) are in the same area as the souq, since they were used for the accommodation of traders and their goods, These khans are characterized by their beautiful facades and entrances, their high arches and fortified wooden doors, some of these khans are; Jumruk (Customs), Wazir (Minister) and Saboun (Soap).

Places to visit in Aleppo:

• The National Museum; this includes in particular documents and relics from Ebla and Man.

• Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions.

• Al-Jami’ al-Kabir  (The Great Mosque) similar to the Omayyad mosque in Damascus.

• Old schools, churches, mosques, baths and ancient houses, some dating back to the 15th century, like the al-Bunduqiah (Venetian) Consulate, which contains super ornaments and antiquities.

Qal’at Sam’an (St. Simon stylite):

This citadel is 60km north-west of Aleppo. It was named after the hermit Saint Simon (Sam’an). a shepherd from northern Syria. Who became a monk after a revelation in a dream following Saint Simon’s death in 459. The Emperor Zenon ordered that a cathedral he built where the saint used to pray. The layout was original. Entering on the famous column from which Saint Simon used to preach. Four basilicas, Arranged in the shape of a cross, opened into Octagon covered by a dome, in the center of which stood the holy Column .

It is a beautiful church built on the ridge of the hill where Saint Simon had taken up “residence”. Simplicity and harmony combine make the ruins of the Basilica of St. Simon a masterpiece of pre-Islamic art in Syria (an earthquake destroyed parts of the church less than half a century after it had been built). In the 10th century, Some towers and walls were erected. It was then called “Qal’at Sam’an” S man’s citadel). It became the center of conflict between Byzantium. The Hamadani kingdom in 986, the son of Sayf al-Dawla al Hamadani finally captured it.

The church of Qaib Lawzi (Idleb):

This is 65 km west of Aleppo. It dates back to the 6th century, and is masterpiece of Syrian Byzantine art.

Ebla (Tal Mardikn-Idleb):

This Tal (which means hill) is 25km south-east of Idleb. It is the site of important and recent archaeological discoveries. Excavations in the “Tal” have revealed a very old Syrian civilization, that of Ebla. This flourished in the 3rd and 2nd millenniums B.C.

In the palace of this great kingdom, a library containing more than 17.00() clay tablets was uncovered. These tablets are the earliest written documents in Syria.

Palaces of the Semi-Desert Rasafeh:

It is located south of the Euphrates and north of the Syrian semi desert. 160 km south-east of Aleppo and 30km south of the Aleppo Raqqa road,

Rasafeh palace was the residence of Hisham ibn Abdul Malik, the third Omayyad Caliph, Whose age was a golden one, due to hi great interest in arts and architecture, 1-Te had several palaces built in various parts of Syria. He was in favour of simplicity and modesty: this is why he chose Rasafeh as his residence. There, he died and was buried. The palace was originally a church, built to commemorate a Roman officer (St. Sergius). Who died in defense of Christianity in the 4th century in 616 the church was invaded by the Persians. Robbed and destroyed.

When Hisham ibn Abdul Malik became a caliph in the 8th century, he built two beautiful palaces on its site. Later, the Abbassids invaded and destroyed what the Caliph Hisham had built. Very little of the ruins of the Mar Sarkis church remain. Parts of the church have been used as a mosque; inscriptions in both Arabic and Greek, engraved on the walls, indicate that Christians and Muslims co-existed peacefully in Syria from the 13th century onwards.

Qasr al-Hir al-Gharbi

45km south-west to Tadmour (Palmyra), built by the Caliph Hisham ibn Abdul Malik in the 8th century, this palace is square and surrounded by a huge wall, at each corner of which there is a round tower. At each side of the main gate there are two half- Rounded towers, it has a courtyard with columns with Corinthian crowns.

Qasr al-Hir al-Sharqi

110km north-east of Palmyra, this palace was built by the Caliph Hisham in 628. It contains a palace-residence for the caliph and for the garrisons.

There is a small mosque built in the style of the Omayyad Mosque in Damascus, There is a bath with hot, warm and cold running water.

This is the oldest Omayyad bath. The palace is surrounded by a wide garden.