Citadel of Aleppo

Citadel of Aleppo
قلعة حلب
Aleppo, Syria
The Citadel of Aleppo in 2010 CE
Citadel of Aleppo is located in Ancient City of Aleppo
Citadel of Aleppo
Citadel of Aleppo
Coordinates36°11′57″N 37°09′45″E / 36.19917°N 37.16250°E / 36.19917; 37.16250
TypeCastle/Citadel
Site information
OwnerGovernment of Syria
Controlled by Syrian Arab Republic
Open to
the public
Yes
ConditionPartially ruined (some parts repaired and destroyed)
Site history
Built3rd millennium BCE – 12th century CE
In useUntil 21st century CE
MaterialsLimestone
Battles/warsSyrian Civil War
Hadad Temple Inside the Citadel
The inner gate of the citadel
View from outside
Entrance gate
The fortified entrance
Entrance to the Throne Hall: an iwan with ablaq masonry
The Throne Hall

The Citadel of Aleppo (Arabic: قلعة حلب, romanizedQalʿat Ḥalab) 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 BCE. Occupied by many civilizations over time – including the Greeks, Armenians, Romans, 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 CE 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, an UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986 CE.[1] During the 2010s, the Citadel received significant damage during the lengthy Battle of Aleppo.[2][3] It was reopened to the public in early 2018 CE with repairs to damaged parts underway, though some of the damage will be purposefully preserved as part of the history of the citadel.[4] The citadel was damaged by the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake.

  1. ^ "Ancient City of Aleppo". UNESCO. Archived from the original on August 5, 2011. Retrieved Mar 7, 2012.
  2. ^ @edwardedark (29 July 2014). "Video: rebels blow up historic building in front of Aleppo citadel today" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  3. ^ "Syrian heritage destruction revealed in satellite images". BBC News. September 19, 2014. Archived from the original on August 13, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  4. ^ "Aleppo Citadel reopens its doors as thousands of visitors regain their memories in". SANA. 16 June 2018. Archived from the original on 18 January 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2022.