Al-Qaiqan Mosque, Ottoman mosque in al-Jalloum district, Aleppo, Syria.
Al-Qaiqan Mosque stands in the western part of Aleppo's ancient city center, close to where the Al-Madina market begins. The building combines a prayer hall with an open courtyard, and its walls contain stones reused from much older structures.
The site began as a Hittite temple in ancient times, and stones from that structure were built into the mosque during the 12th century. This layering shows how people at this location have repeatedly constructed spaces for worship in the same spot across many centuries.
The southern wall displays a stone carved with ancient Hittite symbols that tell stories from layers of history. You can see how the building bridges different times and cultures through its physical elements.
This location sits within a busy neighborhood near a major market, so it can get crowded during certain times of day. Visitors should wear respectful clothing and consider timing their visit to avoid peak hours for a quieter experience.
Two large basalt columns frame the main entrance, and they remain from a much earlier period of the site's history. These columns originally belonged to a completely different structure, showing how building materials were moved and reused across the centuries.
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