This post covers our visit in Aleppo in Syria.
Today we visited: the National Museum, the Citadel, Souk, St Helen Church, ancient Soap Factory, Propaganda Shop and the Baron Hotel.
Aleppo (Pop 2,098,210, Elev 379m, First Inhabited 6000BC) is one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Half of the city was destroyed by the crisis. It is a vast city full of run down and abandoned apartment buildings. I ran through a destroyed suburb with not a soul in sight. It was strange indeed. The city also has many military checkpoints given its proximity to Idleb where all remaining anti-government factions currently live.
The National Museum in Aleppo is full of artefacts that between 1000 and 5000 years old. It covers the origins of civilisation which is centred in Syria, Iraq and Iran surrounding Babylon and the convergence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
The Citadel is big. Like a mini stone city. In fact the modern city of Aleppo began with this citadel built in the 13th Century to defend itself against the Ottomans. The citadel is complete with bath houses, the King’s Palace and a tall tower with commanding 360 degree views of the modern city.
There were 10 km of narrow covered souks that were destroyed by the crisis but there is hope – they are being gradually rebuilt thanks to funding from Japan who love all things ancient and are contributing heavily to the restoration of significant Syrian buildings and the protection of Syrian archaeological sites – well done Japan. We walked through the destroyed and rebuilt sections of Souk and what a contrast. The new ones are terrific as you will see below.
The St Helen Church was badly damaged and is being restored – it was built in the 7th Century in honour of St Constantine’s mother who found the Holy Cross of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem after the crusades.
The Soap Factory we visited was started by the generations of the same family that run it now in the 15th Century – amazing. They produce soap from olive oil without any chemicals added and well-known brand not only in most Arab countries but even in France, Belgium and Holland. It produced 500 tons a year before the crisis and now produces about half of this. 60% is exported.
The so-called Propaganda Shop is actually a real shop selling strange souvenirs and many items promoting the Syrian Government Army and hence the name.
We all enjoyed a pre-dinner beer in the Baron Hotel – the first and most famous hotel in all of Syria. First because it was built 1911 and famous because the following people stayed here: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie (she wrote Murder on The Orient Express in one of the rooms we visited), Theodore Roosevelt and Lawrence of Arabia. Now it is privately owned but not restored. You can stay here but there is no electricity or running water. It actually looks haunted and we had to walk around with our mobile torches on.
Dinner was a sumptuous affair at a very popular Armenian Restaurant. It specialty is its multi-coloured salad full of different vegies and hand made croutons that look like curly pasta. Thinly sliced raw lamb eaten with lamb fat (tastes like butter) is another specialty. Skinless sausage and lamb skewers also featured heavily. The multi-spiced pizza bread complete with a sprinkling of finely chopped veggies is another delight called BULGAR. Our outright favourite was called MUHAMARA DIP which is pulverised walnuts mixed with tahini and olive oil.
Enjoy the bitter-sweet sites of Aleppo…
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