Photo: Preacher lad, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Built in 1425.
The Al-Saffahiyah Mosque is a mosque and madrasa in Aleppo, located to the south-west of the Citadel, at "Al-Jalloum" district of the Ancient City of Aleppo, a World Heritage Site, to the east of Al-Shibani Church-School. The mosque was built in 828 AH (1424/1425 CE) under the patronage of Ahmed bin Saleh bin Al-Saffah on the ruins of an old mill, during the Mamluk period.
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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.
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.
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.
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.