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History and Features of Aleppo Citadel

Located at the intersection of important trade routes and becoming an important strategic location, Aleppo has always been closely linked with the history of world development from 2000 BC to today. In ancient times, it was successively influenced by Hittite civilization, Assyrian civilization, Achaemenid civilization, ancient Greek civilization, ancient Roman civilization, and Arabia and Byzantium. Aleppo was conquered by the Arabs in AD 637, fell into the hands of Nichevro in 962 AD, occupied by Fatima of Egypt in the 11th century AD, and looted by Genghis Khan’s army in 1260 AD.

In modern times, this ancient city has gone through vicissitudes. Because of this history, Aleppo is an undefended city. The city has a castle restored after the disaster in 1260 and a city wall that retains 3 medieval gates. Standing in the center of the city, the Aleppo Citadel is the most important historical monument of the ancient capital, and its majestic silhouette can be seen from a distance.

Construction Layout

The ancient castle of Aleppo, although mercilessly eroded by wind and rain over the years, is still majestic. The entrance to the castle is reached by crossing a square tower and drawbridge, from which the main gate of the city wall is reached by passing the watchtower.

There are three large iron gates at the entrance to the city wall: the first gate is called the “Snake Gate” because of the two giant snakes circling each other carved on the gate. The second gate is carved with a pair of lions, sitting cross-legged guarding the gate. The third gate is also carved with a pair of lions, one is a laughing lion and the other is a crying lion. The expressions are lifelike and lifelike, so it is called the gate of the crying lion and the gate of the laughing lion. The passage from the first gate to the third gate is about 20 meters long, and the top of the passage is full of battlements and surveillance holes. Close the door and the passage becomes a trap. Soldiers guarding the gates could shoot arrows, throw rocks or fire from these holes, killing the enemy. The defensive layout of the castle is tight and ingenious, and it is amazing.

Aleppo Citadel was not only a military fort at that time, but also a residence for local residents to take refuge in wartime. The castle covers an area of ​​15 hectares and houses housing, warehouses, shops and mosques. Walking into the castle from the third gate, there is an underground cistern on the right and two mosques on the left, representing the architectural features and styles of different periods. The niches of the mosque are carved wood carvings. There is also a large mosque in the northern part of the castle, built in the 13th century AD. Looking out from the platform of the mosque, there is a panoramic view of Aleppo. At dusk, due to the refraction and reflection of the sun, the city of Aleppo can be seen from here in colorful and extremely beautiful scenery.

In addition, Aleppo also has many splendid mosques. The ancient walls of the Kihan Mosque and the stone frieze of the Tutkh Mosque are famous monuments in Syria. The Great Mosque, built in the 11th and 12th centuries, is famous for its towering square minaret. It is one of the earliest call towers in the world. The Halawiya Mosque was built on the site of the Aleppo Cathedral, which is said to have been built by St. Helena. There are also some ruins of Byzantine buildings in Aleppo, and the Simeon Cathedral that survives to this day is one of the masterpieces of this kind of architecture. There was an 18-meter-high column on the site of the church. Simeon, a Christian ascetic in Syria, practiced on it for 30 years, preaching to pilgrims from all directions until his death in 459. Today, the tall column has long since disappeared, leaving only the ruins of the octagonal cathedral.

The Old City of Aleppo is a unique group of medieval buildings, and the Aleppo Castle is its most distinctive place and a pearl of this ancient capital.

Research Value

The majestic Aleppo ancient castle stands on a conical hill in the center of the city, surrounded by a trench 20 meters deep and 30 meters wide. It is 65 meters high from the bottom of the ditch to the top of the city wall. From the bottom of the wall to the moat, the smooth stone surface slopes at 48 degrees, and the right castle is famous for its ruggedness.

The ancient castle of Aleppo was originally the seat of the temples of the ancient Babylonian and Assyrian kingdoms, and it has as long a history as the city of Aleppo. From the ancient Greek and Roman times, the temple was converted into a fortified acropolis and a military fortress. For thousands of years, the castle has been continuously strengthened and expanded, and the castle that has survived so far was built during the Arab Ayyubid Dynasty in the 13th century AD. The ancient castle preserves traces left over from various historical periods, and is a precious treasure house for studying the historical changes in Syria.