//
Photo: K.A.C Kreswell, CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons
A former Sufi monastery, completed in 1244 AD.
The Khânaqâh al-Farafira is a 13th-century Sufi monastery in Aleppo, Syria, located in the al-Farafira quarter of the Ancient City and positioned north to the Citadel of Aleppo. The khânaqâh was built in 1237 by the efforts of Dayfa Khatun, the regent ruler of Aleppo from 1237 to 1244 and the wife of Az-Zahir Ghazi. At the time of its commission, it was the largest khânaqâh in the city. The building was a centre for sufis and dervishes. The original name of the building was ar-Ribāt al-Nasiri.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
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.
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.
كنيسة مار آسيا الحكيم
Built in 1500.
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.
كاتدرائية القدّيِس الياس
Eastern Catholic (Maronite) church, built in 1873.