Discover 20 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Aleppo (Syria). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Citadel of Aleppo, Great Mosque of Aleppo, and National Museum of Aleppo. Also, be sure to include Al-Shibani Church in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Aleppo (Aleppo).
Table of Contents
Citadel of Aleppo
Also known as: قلعة حلب
Historical landmark in Aleppo, Syria. The Citadel of Aleppo is a large medieval fortified palace in the centre of the old city of Aleppo, northern Syria. It is considered to be one of the oldest and largest castles in the world. Usage of the Citadel hill dates back at least to the middle of the 3rd millennium BC. Occupied by many civilizations over time – including the Armenians, Greeks, Byzantines, Ayyubids, Mamluks and Ottomans – the majority of the construction as it stands today is thought to originate from the Ayyubid period. An extensive conservation work took place in the 2000s by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, in collaboration with Aleppo Archeological Society. Dominating the city, the Citadel is part of the Ancient City of Aleppo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986. During the 2010s, the Citadel received significant damage during the lengthy Battle of Aleppo. It was reopened to the public in early 2017 with repairs to damaged parts underway.[1]
Address: Hawl Al Qalaa St, Aleppo
Great Mosque of Aleppo
Also known as: جامع حلب الكبير
8th-century mosque with a courtyard. The Great Mosque of Aleppo is the largest and one of the oldest mosques in the city of Aleppo, Syria. It is located in al-Jalloum district of the Ancient City of Aleppo, a World Heritage Site, near the entrance to Al-Madina Souq. The mosque is purportedly home to the remains of Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, both of whom are revered in Islam and Christianity. It was built in the beginning of the 8th century CE. However, the current building dates back to the 11th through 14th centuries. The minaret in the mosque was built in 1090, and was destroyed during fighting in the Syrian Civil War in April 2013.[2]
Address: Hawl Al Qalaa St, Aleppo
National Museum of Aleppo
Also known as: متحف حلب الوطني
Museum of region's archaeological finds. The National Museum of Aleppo is the largest museum in the city of Aleppo, Syria, and was founded in 1931. It is located in the heart of the northern city on Baron Street, adjacent to the famous Baron Hotel and near the Bab al-Faraj Square and Clock Tower. The majority of the museum's exhibitions are devoted to the archaeology of Syria, with most of the finds coming from archaeological sites of the northern part of the country.[3]
Al-Shibani Church
Also known as: مدرسة الشيباني
Church in Aleppo, Syria. Al-Shibani Church, also known as al-Shibani School, is a 12th-century religious and cultural centre located in al-Jalloum district of the Ancient City of Aleppo, Syria. The complex is located to the west of the al-Saffahiyah Mosque and of the south of Souq Khan al-Nahhaseen.[4]
Villa Rose
Mansion in Aleppo, Syria. Villa Rose, is a private mansion in the Syrian city of Aleppo dating back to 1928. Built by the Aleppine wealthy businessman Subhi Kabbabé during the days of the French Mandate for Syria, Villa Rose is the first building in Aleppo to feature pure European architectural elements, mainly based on Baroque principles.
It is colloquially known as the Villa Rose because of the pink-colored stones of the building. In 1948, the building was purchased by Dr. Gregory Kassis who turned it into a maternity hospital. During the 1960s, the building was about to be dismantled by its new owner Jean-Frederic Rabbat. However, upon the demand of the citizens, then-governor of Aleppo Abdulghani al-Saadawi mediated the dispute, convincing the owner to preserve the palace. In 1983, the mansion was sold to a new group of owners and the building was listed among the architectural heritage monuments of Aleppo, in order to prevent any possible destruction by its future owners. Currently, Villa Rose is owned by the local businessman Abdul Aziz al-Sukhni who is among the tycoons of pharmaceutical industry in Syria.[5]
Forty Martyrs Cathedral
Also known as: كاتدرائية الأربعين شهيد
Cathedral in Aleppo, Syria. The Forty Martyrs Armenian Cathedral of Aleppo, Syria, is a 15th-century Armenian Apostolic church located in the old Christian quarter of Jdeydeh. It is significant among the Armenian churches for being one of the oldest active churches in the Armenian diaspora and the city of Aleppo. It is a three-nave basilica church with no dome. Its bell tower of 1912, is considered to be one of the unique samples of the baroque architecture in Aleppo.[6]
Al-Sultaniyah Madrasa
Madrasah in Syria. Al-Sultaniyah Madrasa, is a madrasah complex located across from the Citadel entrance in the Ancient city of Aleppo, Syria. It is a religious, educational and funerary complex. It contains the tomb of sultan Malik al-Zaher the son of Ayyubid Sultan Saladin. However, satellite pictures show it has been bombed out of existence.[7]
Hammam Yalbugha
Hammam Yalbugha is a Mamluk-era public bath in Aleppo, Syria. It was built in 1491 by the Emir of Aleppo Saif ad-Din Yalbugha al-Naseri. It is located next to the entrance of the Citadel of Aleppo, on the banks of the Quweiq river.
The Hammam Yalbugha was damaged during the Syrian war.[8]
Saadallah al-Jabiri Square
Also known as: ساحة سعد الله الجابري
Saadallah Al-Jabiri Square is the central town square at the heart of the Syrian city of Aleppo. It is the most important square in the city, experiencing most of the celebrations and festivals in Aleppo. The square is named after former Prime Minister Saadallah al-Jabiri.
The square and its surrounding buildings have been heavily damaged during October 2012 Aleppo bombings.
After several renovations to the square, an "I love Aleppo" monument was built near the martyrs' memorial and later revealed on 29 July 2017.[9]
Beit Junblatt
Mansion in Aleppo, Syria. Beit Junblatt is a historic mansion in Aleppo, Syria, built in the 16th century by a Kurdish emir of the Janbulad family.[10]
Address: Aleppo, Al-Bandarah area, al-Farafira district, Ancient Aleppo
Khusruwiyah Mosque
Also known as: المدرسة الخسروية
Mosque in Syria. The Khusraw mosque Arabized as Khusruwiyah Mosque was a mosque complex in Aleppo, Syria. It was located southeast of the Citadel. The mosque was commissioned by Husrev Pasa while he was governor of Aleppo under Sultan Suleiman I.
The mosque was damaged by the armed Al Qaeda linked terrorist or Syrian Armed Forces during the Battle of Aleppo in summer 2014 and again during the battle of Aleppo in 2015 within the Syrian Civil War.[11]
Al-Hatab Square
Also known as: ساحة الحطب
Al-Hatab Square is one of the oldest squares in the Syrian city of Aleppo. It is located in the old Jdeydeh Quarter, outside the historic walls of the Ancient City of Aleppo. The square suffered catastrophic damage during the Syrian civil war.[12]
Farhat Square
Farhat Square is one of the oldest squares in the Syrian city of Aleppo. It is located in the old Jdeydeh District, outside the historic walls of the Ancient City of Aleppo.
Farhat Square is a symbolic area of Christianity in Aleppo as three cathedrals are located there: Greek Catholic, Armenian and Maronite. Churches have been in the area since the 15th Century.
It was named after Bishop Gabriel Germanos Farhat (1670-1732) who was Maronite Bishop of Aleppo between 1725-1732 and founded the Maronite Library of Aleppo. Sahat Farhat was named in his honor and his statue was placed in the square in 1932 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of his death.
The square and the buildings around it have been damaged by heavy fighting between combatants during the Battle of Aleppo (2012–16). Similar destruction occurred to the area during Aleppo's sectarian unrest of 1850.[13]
Church of Saint Francis of Assisi
Also known as: كنيسة اللاتين
Catholic church in Aleppo, Syria. Saint Francis of Assisi Church also called the Latin church of Aleppo, is a Catholic church in Aleppo, Syria, operating under the regulation of the Apostolic Vicariate of Aleppo. It was the cathedral of the vicarate and the seat of the bishop until 2011, when the new Cathedral of the Child Jesus was consecrated in the city.
The church uses the Roman or Latin rite, is dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi, and is the seat of the Apostolic Vicariate of Aleppo (Latin: Vicariatus Apostolicus Aleppensis) which was created in 1762 by Pope Clement XIII. As of 2004, 12,000 people had been baptized there. The cathedral is neo-classical style. It is maintained by the Franciscans.
It is under the pastoral responsibility of Bishop Georges Abou Khazen.[14]
Saint Elijah Cathedral
Also known as: كاتدرائية القديس الياس
Saint Elijah Cathedral, is an Eastern Catholic church in Aleppo, Syria, located in the Christian quarter of al-Jdayde. It is named after the biblical prophet Elijah. The church was built in 1873, replacing an old Maronite church. It was renovated in 1914.[15]
Address: Farhat Square, Aleppo
Ancient City of Aleppo
Also known as: حلب القديمة
The Ancient City of Aleppo is the historic city centre of Aleppo, Syria. Before the Syrian Civil War, many districts of the ancient city remained essentially unchanged since its construction during the 12th to the 16th century. Being subjected to constant invasions and political instability, the inhabitants of the city were forced to build cell-like quarters and districts that were socially and economically independent. Each district was characterized by the religious and ethnic characteristics of its inhabitants.
The Old City of Aleppo – composed of the ancient city within the walls and the old cell-like quarters outside the walls – has an approximate area of 350 hectares (860 acres; 3.5 km2), housing more than 120,000 residents.
Characterized by its large mansions, narrow alleys, covered souqs and ancient caravanserais, the Ancient City of Aleppo became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986.
Many sections in the Al-Madina Souq and other medieval buildings in the ancient city were destroyed and ruined or burnt as a result of clashes between the Syrian Arab Army and the rebel forces of Jabhat al-Nusra, in what is called the Battle of Aleppo, launched by the opposition JN armed groups on 25 September 2012. In February 2014, the opposition groups of the Islamic Front claimed responsibility for destroying a series of major historic buildings being used as fortified bases by the Syrian Army in the old city including the justice palace, the Carlton hotel and the old building of the city council.
30% of the Ancient City of Aleppo has been destroyed in the fighting.[16]
Al-Saffahiyah Mosque
Also known as: جامع السفاحية
Mosque in Aleppo, Syria. The Al-Saffahiyah Mosque is a mosque in Aleppo, located to the south-west of the Citadel, at "Al-Jalloum" district of the ancient city, to the east of Al-Shibani Church-School. The mosque was built in 1425 under the patronage of Ahmed bin Saleh bin Al-Saffah on the ruins of an old mill, during the Mamluk period.
The mosque is marked with its single octagonal minaret over the entrance, decorated with the fine carvings of the Mamluk-era architecture.
The mosque was partially renovated in 1925.[17]
Ar-Rahman Mosque
Also known as: مسجد الرحمن
Mosque in Aleppo, Syria. Ar-Rahman Mosque is a contemporary mosque in Aleppo, Syria, located on King Faisal Street. It was opened in 1994 and features a combined style of the early Umayyad architecture and modern mosques.
It has a large central dome surrounded with 2 high and 4 shorter rectangular minarets. The external walls of the mosque are decorated with stones in the form of traditional Quran pages, inscribed with some verses from the Ar-Rahman sura.[18]
Church of the Holy Cross
Also known as: كنيسة الصليب المقدس
Catholic church in Aleppo, Syria. Church of the Holy Cross is an Armenian Catholic Church in the Ouroubeh district of Aleppo, Syria.[19]
Church of the Holy Trinity
The Holy Trinity Church, also called Zvartnots, is an Armenian Catholic church in al-Midan district of Aleppo, Syria.[20]