Aleppo (Halab in Arabic) is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world — people have lived here for at least 8,000 years. Before the Syrian civil war, it was the commercial capital of Syria and one of the finest examples of Islamic architecture in the Middle East: the Citadel of Aleppo (a UNESCO World Heritage site), the medieval covered souks (the longest in the world), and the old city mosques and khans were extraordinary. The city suffered severe damage during the 2012–2016 battle for Aleppo but reconstruction is ongoing and some areas are accessible to visitors. This guide reflects Aleppo's historic character.
The Citadel of Aleppo is one of the greatest and oldest medieval fortresses in the world — a massive walled complex on a 50-metre-high tell (ancient mound) in the centre of the old city. Settled since the 3rd millennium BC, the current Citadel dates mainly from the 13th century Ayyubid and Mamluk periods. The throne hall, the mosque and the glacis (sloping stone base) are extraordinary.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideThe Great Mosque (Jami al-Kabir) was founded in 715 AD on the site of the Byzantine Cathedral of Saint Helena. The 12th-century minaret (damaged in 2013 during the civil war) was one of the finest examples of Seljuk Islamic architecture. The courtyard and prayer hall date to the 11th-12th centuries under the Hamdanid and Zangid dynasties.
The medieval covered souks of Aleppo stretch for 13 km under stone vaulted roofs — the largest covered market complex in the world (UNESCO). Each section is dedicated to a trade: Khan al-Nahasin (copper), Khan al-Shouneh (wool), the silk bazaar, the spice market. The architecture of the 14th-15th century khans is magnificent.
Aleppo soap (ghar soap) made from olive oil and laurel oil is produced only in Aleppo and has been exported worldwide for centuries — the prototype of Castile soap. The older the soap, the darker and harder it becomes (ageing for up to 7 years). The soap market in the covered souks has the finest selection.
Aleppo cuisine is considered the finest in Syria and among the finest in the Middle East — kibbeh (bulgur and lamb dumplings), muhammara (roasted red pepper and walnut paste), kebab karaz (lamb kebab with sour cherries), fatteh (layered bread, chickpeas and yoghurt). At Sissi House (an old mansion house) or Al Andalib for traditional Aleppan cooking.
The Al-Jdeideh (New Quarter — despite the name, 15th century) is Aleppo's Christian quarter, with Arab-Christian mansions and churches. The evening is the best time for the atmospheric old city streets.
The 16th-17th century khans (caravanserais) of central Aleppo are among the finest examples of Mamluk and Ottoman civic architecture in the world. Khan al-Wazir (1682) has a particularly fine portal with striped ablaq stonework. These were the commercial inns that made Aleppo the greatest trading city of the Silk Road.
The Yalbugha hammam (1491) near the Citadel is one of Aleppo's finest surviving bathhouses — the muqarnas vaulting, the star-shaped skylight oculi and the marble platforms are examples of Mamluk baths at their peak. Check whether operational for visitors post-reconstruction.
The National Museum of Aleppo (pre-civil war, one of Syria's finest museums) housed major collections from the Dead Cities (Byzantine ghost towns northwest of Aleppo), Tell Halaf (Aramaean Bronze Age city), and the Ebla tablets (2400 BC cuneiform clay tablets, the first discovered library). Renovation status post-war should be confirmed.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideAleppo's signature dishes in one dinner: muhammara (the red pepper-walnut-pomegranate paste that was exported from Aleppo to become a global condiment), kibbeh nayyeh (raw lamb with bulgur — Syria's steak tartare), and kebab karaz (minced lamb kebab with sour cherries, served in cherry sauce). The most distinctive meal in the Middle East.
Arabic coffee (qahwa — cardamom-spiced, saffron-yellow, served in small cups) with Syrian baklava (the finest in the Middle East — more delicate than Turkish, with pistachio and rose water) at a traditional coffeehouse near the Citadel.
The Dead Cities (Abandoned Villages) of northwest Syria (UNESCO) are 700+ ghost towns of Byzantine Christian communities (4th-7th century) — abandoned after the Arab conquest and preserved by the dry climate. Serjilla, Al-Bara and Qalb Lozeh are the finest: olive presses, bath houses, churches, villas, all standing without any later rebuilding.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideSerjilla (5th-6th century) is the best-preserved Dead City — an entire village with the church, the andron (social house), the bath (still with its underfloor heating channels), the villa houses with decorated doorways, and the olive oil press all standing in the landscape. No tourists, no interpretation, pure archaeology.
Idlib city (the administrative centre for the Dead Cities region) has local restaurants. Given the post-civil war situation in this region, check current access and safety conditions before this excursion.
Qalb Lozeh (5th century) has the most complete Byzantine church in the Dead Cities region — twin towers flanking the nave (a layout that influenced later Romanesque architecture), and the carved stone ornament of extraordinary quality. The church has been called the most important pre-Romanesque building in existence.
Return through the Orontes valley to Aleppo — the landscape of olive groves, limestone hills and Byzantine ruins is uniquely evocative.
The final dinner in Aleppo at its best traditional restaurant — fatteh (crispy bread layered with chickpeas, yoghurt, tahini and pine nuts), malfuf (stuffed cabbage in tamarind sauce), and the Aleppan version of hummus (coarser, more lemony than the Lebanese style). With arak (anise spirit) or Syrian wine.