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Photo: Preacher lad, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
With a total length of almost 13 kilometers, this used to be the largest souk in the world and had all of the shopping you could want to do from gold and silver, boxes, clothing, fabric and soap. Severely damaged during the civil war. A small part of the souk called al-Saqatiyah reopened in 2019. Bargaining is encouraged and if you know some Arabic it will get you a much better price.
Al-Madina Souq is the covered souq-market located at the heart of the Syrian city of Aleppo within the walled ancient part of the city. With its long and narrow alleys, al-Madina Souq is the largest covered historic market in the world, with an approximate length of 13 kilometers. It is a major trade centre for imported luxury goods, such as raw silk from Iran, spices and dyes from India and many other products. Al-Madina Souq is also home to local products such as wool, agricultural products and soap. Most of the souqs date back to the 14th century and are named after various professions and crafts, hence the wool souq, the copper souq, and so on. Aside from trading, the souq accommodated the traders and their goods in khans (caravanserais) scattered within the souq. Other types of small market-places were called caeserias (قيساريات). Caeserias are smaller than khans in size and functioned as workshops for craftsmen. Most of the khans took their names after their function and location in the souq, and are characterized by beautiful façades and entrances with fortified wooden doors.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
A beautiful mental hospital turned into a museum. Entrance is free and you can wander around and look at exhibits, which include old medical equipment, herbs, biographies of famous Arab scientists and other interesting artifacts. The main attractions, however, are the courtyard and two separate spaces reserved for the mentally ill.
جامع حلب الكبير
Also known as the Umayyad Mosque of Aleppo is the largest and one of the oldest mosques in Aleppo, built between the 11th and 14th centuries. Its minaret, dating back to 1090 along with other parts of the mosque was destroyed during the Syrian civil war in April 2013. Both the mosque and its minaret are to be rebuilt during the coming years.
Built in 1425.
On a hill in the centre of the city and is visible from almost anywhere. Usage of the Citadel hill dates back at least to the middle of the 3rd millennium BC, but the current structure dates from the 13th century. The citadel survived the fighting relatively intact and there are daily tours as of 2026.
Built in the Byzantine period, perhaps as early as the 9th century before BCE.
متحف حلب الوطني
Archaeological museum documenting the history of Syria, it was hit by missiles in 2016 and most artifacts evacuated. After extensive reparation, the museum re-opened in October 2019.