Aleppo, Syria: Citadel, Souks & History - June 2023

Aleppo's history spans 5,000 years as a multicultural hub for Arabs, Kurds, Armenians, Turks, and Christians, thriving along trade routes with churches, mosques, and caravanserais. Named Cultural Capital of the Islamic World in 2006, it was Syria's cultural heart until disrupted by civil war. The Citadel, on a 50m hill with a 300-400m elliptical plan, is a medieval fortress that housed over 10,000 during sieges; it was damaged in the February 2023 earthquake. The UNESCO-listed Souk, Middle East's largest market (13km streets), saw 1,500 shops destroyed in the war; private reconstruction continues amid embargoes.