Aleppo is a charming city in northern Syria recognized for being one of the 4 Syrian sites on the UNESCO's world Heritage list. Located at the crossroads of several trade routes from the 2nd millennium B.C., and considered one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world, Aleppo was ruled successively by the Hittites, Assyrians, Arabs, Mongols, Mamelukes and Ottomans.

The main historical sites in Aleppo are:

Aleppo Citadel:

The largest and the most impressive historical monument in Aleppo. It is situated at the center of the city on a hill about 40 meters high. It was built by Prince Saif Al-Dawleh Al-Hamadany. Its style combines austerity with beauty. Beautiful towers are built into the walls, its imposing entrance is protected by metal doors, and its fortifications are strengthened by a deep moat.

The Great Mosque:

Jami Al- Kabir (The Great Mosque) is the largest and one of the finest in the city. The Mosque was built in 1213 in the time of the Omayyad Caliph Suleiman Ibn Abdul Malek. Its notable features are the beautiful square minaret, its prayer niche (mihrab), and the pulpit made of ebony inlaid with ivory.

The Ancient Covered Market (Souk):

The Aleppo covered markets are the longest in the world. They are seven kilometers long combined and have 39 market each with its own trading specialty of goods and.

Baths:

Aleppo has about 60 baths (hammam) some of which were built more than 800 years ago. Hammam Yalbugha Al- Nasseri, built in the 14th century, was restored by the Ministry of Tourism and has been open to the public since 1985.

Aleppo Museum:

At Aleppo museum you will witness, starting at the main entrance, a temple gateway and a female sphinx from the Iron Age Neo Hittite settlement in Tell Khallaf. The first hall exhibits statues and cuneiform slates from Mari in the Bronze Age, including some pieces discovered by Agatha Christie's husband, Max Mallowan, at the site of Tell Brak (Tell Khouwayra). Further on, you will find a room containing Bronze Age objects from Hama and Ugarit.

Saint Simon:

In Arabic "Qalaat Seman", which bears the name of the ascetic Saint Simon (4th century AD), who spent forty-two years of his life here. It’s isolated on the top of a column that was several times made higher (reaching up to about 20 m). It is to be noted that at the foot of the hill of Saint-Simon, a village: Deir Semaan, relayed to the monastery by a processional road, also housed many pilgrims.