The Citadel of Aleppo

The Citadel of Aleppo is one of the most outstanding historical sites in Aleppo, Syria. The Arabic name of Aleppo is ‘Halab’ whose history dates back to the 3^rd millennium BC. In the 8^th century BC, Halab was under the control of the Assyrians, who were succeeded by the Persians between the 6^th and 4^th century BC. In 333 BC, the Greeks took over the city at the time of the Alexander the Great, and became an important commercial location that linked between the cultures of both East and West. In 64 BC, Aleppo was under the rule of the Roman and enjoyed a prosperous period under Byzantine Empire and represented an important center of Christianity. A great cathedral was built during this period and became a mosque in 1124, which still exists within the premises of the citadel.

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In 637 AD, the city of Aleppo was ruled by the Arabs, where it retained its old name ‘Halab’. The Citadel was built by Sayf al-Dawla (944-967), and it consisted of residential area, palaces, mosque, shrines, and military structures. The Citadel of Aleppo represented the center of the city, whose streets extended around the citadel in an organic shape. The uniqueness of the city is defined by the elliptical shape of the citadel with a length of 450 meters and width of 325 meters at the base. The citadel which visually dominates the Aleppo city has 50 meters height, the top ellipse measures 285 meters in length and the width is 160 meters.

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In fact, the citadel can be compared to the citadel of Cairo in Egypt in scale, importance, and visual dominance. The most impressive features of the citadel are the fortified walls, which enclose the site, and the stunning bridge, which is characterized by its eight large structures. As usual in all Muslim cities planning, the mosque occupied the top of the citadel.

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After the Mongol invasion in 1410, the citadel was rebuilt by the Mamluk ruler of Aleppo in 1415, who added a new palace, and some other preservation projects. At the time of the Ottoman reign, the city of Aleppo enjoyed a period of commercial growth. In 2000 the Aga Khan Historic Cities Program initiated a major restoration project for the Citadel of Aleppo, as well as an excavation project, which found some remnants from the Ottoman period.

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Now, the Aleppo Citadel became the main tourist attraction, because of its long and interesting history as well as its outstanding architecture. Although the Aleppo Citadel is considered an important Islamic landmark, Greek, Roman, and Byzantine ruins were uncovered to reveal its rich history. Over number of centuries, many rulers worked on fortifying the citadel as well as added many different structures, including as residence areas, towers, iron gates, and a vaulted passageway, and a mosque. In 1986, the citadel was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Sources:

1. Main article image:
2. www.archnet.org
3. http://www.sacred-destinations.com/syria/aleppo-history.htm