Citadel of Aleppo

The Citadel of Aleppo is a fortress made of limestone that rises on a hill 50 meters (164 feet) high in the old quarter of Aleppo, Syria. Walls, towers and defensive works form a complete system spreading across multiple levels with passages, ceremonial halls and cisterns.

The foundation walls were built around 1150, before large expansions under the Ayyubids turned the site into a military stronghold. Saladin ordered the development to strengthen defenses against crusaders and other attackers.

The structure houses an old amphitheater that sits beside living quarters and prayer rooms, all of which remain visible today. Visitors see how military and civilian functions were combined, once sheltering soldiers and their families within a fortified town.

Visitors should plan at least three hours to explore passages, halls, water systems and dungeons spread across different levels. Comfortable shoes help with the many stairs and uneven stone paths inside the complex.

The site holds a temple to the god Hadad from the third millennium BC, making it one of the oldest religious places in Syria. This ancient shrine lies beneath later layers and remains partly accessible to visitors.