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HALAB
(ALEPPO)
ALEPPO IS THE CAPITAL OF NORTHERN
SYRIA 350 KM. TO THE NORTH OF DIMASHQ ( DAMASCUS ) . EVER SINCE THE 3RD
MILLENNIUM B.C , ALEPPO HAS BEEN A FLORURISHING CITY . IT REACHED THE APOGEE OF
ITS GLORY IN THE AMORITE ( THE TWELFETH CENTURY B.C ) . WHEN IT WAS KNOWN AS THE
GREATER KINGDOM OF YAMHAD ACCORDING TO THE HITTITE CUNEIFORM DOCUMENTS. THE CITY
WAS SUBJECT TO MANY INVASIONS BECAUSE OF ITS STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE AND POSITION
AS THE MEETING POINT OF SEVERAL COMMERCIAL ROADS LINKING THE WEST, AND THE EAST.
IT WAS INVADED BY THE HITTITES, THE PHARAOHS , THE ASSYRIANS, THE PERSIANS, THE
GREEKS, AND THE ROMANS. IT ALSO PLAYED A PROMINENT ROLE IN THE CHRISTIAN ERA,
WHEN IT BECAME PARISH . AHUGE CATHEDRAL WAS BUILT IN IT, WHICH IS STILL STANDING
UP TILL NOW .
LIFE IN HALAB ( ALEPPO)
PROSPERED AFTER THE ARAB ISLAMIC CONQUEST, STARTING FROM THE OMAYYAD PERIOD ,
AND PASSING THROUGH THE ABBASID, THE FATEMITE , THE AYOUBITE AND THE MAMLUK
PERIODS, UNTIL IT BECAME THE CAPITAL OF THE HAMADANI STATE WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED
IN 944 A.D BY SAYF AL DAWLA WHO REBUILT ALEPPO,S FAMOUS CITADEL, WHICH IS
DESCRIBED AS THE ACCUMULATION OF THE EARLIER CIVILIZATIONS.
TWO GREAT DISASTERS
BEFELL THE CITY OF HALAB (ALEPPO), THE FIRST WHEN IT WAS INVADED BY THE MONGOLS
IN 1260 A.D. AND THE SECOND WHEN IT WAS INVADED BY TEMORLINK IN 1400 A.D. , BUT
IT SOON REGAINED IT S PROSPERITY AND REBUILT WHAT HAD BEEN DESTROYED . AS A
RESULT , BUILDINGS OF DISTINGUISHED ARCHITECTURE WERE BUILT IN IT SUCH AS THE
MOSQUES, THE SCHOOL, THE BATHS, THE CHURCHES, THE KHANS, THE TOMBS AND THE
*TKIEHS*. STARTING FROM THE MAMLUK AND THE OTTOMAN PERIODS , HALAB (ALEPPO)
DEVELOPED ITS TRADE RELATIONS WITH ITALY, FRANCE, ENGLAND AND HOLLAND. THIS
CAUSED VARIOUS TYPES OF EURPEAN ARCHITECTURE TO BE ADOPTED IN HALAB (ALEPPO) ,
ESPECIALY THE *BAROQUE DECORATION: WHICH CAN STILL BE SEEN IN MANY BUILDINGS
TODAY , ON THE DOORS, THE CEILINGS,AND THE WINDOWS TOGETHER WITH THE YELLOWISH
SMOOTH FINE STONES WHICH HAD BEEN USED TO BUILD THE CITY SINCE THE HELLENISTIC
ERA UP TILL NOW.
THE MOST IMPORTATNT
TOURISTIC SITES IN HALAB (ALEPPO) ARE :
THE CITADEL, WHICH IS
CONSIDERED ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ISLAMIC BUILDINGS. THE MAIN PARTS OF THE
CITADEL ARE : THE THRONE ROOM, THE BATH ROOM, THE SMALL MOSQUE AND THE GREAT
MOSQUE.
THE WALLS AND THE GATES;
DATING BACK TO THE ISLAMIC ERAS WITH THEIR FORTIFIED GATES SUCH AS BAB HADID,
ANTAKIA AND QINNISRIN.
THE COVERED SOUQS AND
THE COMMERCIAL KHANS: DATING BACK TO THE 15TH AND 16TH
CENTURY AND EXTENDING FOR MORE THAN 10 KM. THE SOUQS ARE NAMED AFTER THE VARIOUS
CRAFTS SUCH AS THE SOUQ OF SIYAGH (GOLD) THE SOUQ OF SABOUN (SOAP) THE SOUQ OF
ATTAREEN (PERFUME) ETC. AND ARE GATHERED TO FORM WHAT IS KNOWN AS SOUQ AL
MADEENA ( THE CITY SOUQ). THE KHANS , WHICH FLOURISHED IN THE MAMLUK AND THE
OTTOMAN PERIODS ARE IN THE SAME AREA AS THE SOUQS SINCE THEY WERE USED FOR THE
ACCOMMODATION OF TRADERS AND THEIR GOODS, THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THESE KHANS ARE;
JUMRUK ( CUSTOMS) WAZIR (MINISTER) AND SABOUN (SOAP).
OTHER PLACES TO VISIT IN
ALEPPO INCLUDE:
THE NATIONAL MUSEUM.
THE MUSEUM OF
POPULARARTS AND TRADITIONS
AL JAMI ALKABIR ( THE
GREAT OMAYYAD MOSQUE).
THE OLD SCHOOLS,
CHURCHES,MOSQUES,BATHS,AND ANCIENT HOUSES.
HAMMAM YALBOUGHA AL
NASIRI
KHAN ESH,SHOUNEH ( THE
SOUQ FOR TRADITIONAL HANDICRAFTS)
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