Damascus, Jan. 2 (SANA) Towering above Aleppo’s Old City, the Aleppo Citadel has stood for centuries as both a military stronghold and a symbol of the city’s layered history. Rising around 38 meters above its surroundings, the fortress has played a central role in Aleppo’s political, military, and urban development.
Fortification and Defensive Engineering
Surrounded by a deep defensive moat, the citadel reflects advanced military engineering. According to historian Abdullah Hajjar in his book Archaeological Landmarks of Aleppo, the moat was excavated and reinforced during the reign of Ayyubid ruler al-Zahir Ghazi, at times reaching 22 meters in depth and about 30 meters in width, and was once filled with water to strengthen defenses.
Parts of the citadel date back nearly two millennia. The lower section of its main entrance originates from the third century AD, while upper additions were made in the fifteenth century. Most of the towers and walls were built or expanded between the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries.
The citadel has repeatedly been damaged and rebuilt over the centuries. It was destroyed by the Sassanids in 540 AD, but later restored.
Inside its walls, the citadel contains mosques, military structures, and residential buildings, offering a rare glimpse into daily life within a medieval fortress. Among its landmarks are the Ibrahim al-Khalil Mosque, the Great Mosque, defensive towers, barracks, and several historic houses.
Landmarks Inside the Citadel
Archaeological excavations have uncovered remains from multiple eras, including a ninth-century BC temple, Roman and Byzantine sarcophagi, and water cisterns dating back to the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian, who rebuilt Aleppo’s fortifications in the sixth century against Persian invades.
The citadel flourished during the Mamluk period, when it was restored by Sultan Baybars after the 1260 Battle of Ain Jalut. Later inscriptions document victories by Mamluk rulers over Crusader and Mongol forces. Under Ottoman rule, following the Battle of Marj Dabiq in 1516, the fortress gradually lost its military role and became an administrative and residential site.
Earthquakes and Restoration
The book outlines the various stages of restoration of the Aleppo Citadel over the centuries. It highlights that al-Zahir Ghazi, son of Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi, excavated the moat, reinforced the entrance with three wrought-iron gates, and built a large mosque within the fortress. Later, al-Zahir Baybars restored the citadel after the Mongol invasion, and in 1417, Sultan al-Mu’ayyad Shaykh repaired its walls following their destruction by Timur in 1401.
Aleppo Citadel has also survived powerful earthquakes, including a devastating quake in 1138 and another in 1822, each followed by major restoration efforts led by regional rulers of the time.
Beyond the citadel itself, Hajjar’s research documents Aleppo’s wider architectural heritage, including historic bathhouses and caravanserais that once supported the city’s role as a major trade center.
After years of closure, neglect, and damage during the war, the Aleppo Citadel reopened to visitors on September 27 following months of restoration work. The site has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage landmark since 1986.
