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==Culture== ===Art=== [[File:Aleppomusic.jpg|thumb|Musicians from Aleppo, 18th century]] Aleppo is considered one of the main centres of Arabic traditional and classic music with the Aleppine ''[[Muwashshah]]s'', ''[[Qudud Halabiya]]'' and ''[[Arabic maqam|Maqams]]'' (religious, secular and folk poetic-musical genres). In December 2021, the Qudud Halabiya was included into the [[UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists|UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list]] as [[Intangible cultural heritage]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Al-Qudoud al-Halabiya |url=https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/al-qudoud-al-halabiya-01578 |publisher=UNESCO Culture Sector |access-date=2021-12-18 |archive-date=15 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211215150323/https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/al-qudoud-al-halabiya-01578 |url-status=live }}</ref> Aleppines in general are fond of Arab classical music, the ''Tarab'', and it is not a surprise that many artists from Aleppo are considered pioneers among the Arabs in classic and traditional music. The most prominent figures in this field are Sabri Mdallal, [[Sabah Fakhri]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/sabah-fakhri-dies/2021/11/02/6e795a2a-3bdd-11ec-a493-51b0252dea0c_story.html |title=Sabah Fakhri, Syrian tenor who helped preserve classical Arabic music, dies at 88 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=2021-11-02 |accessdate=2022-09-11 |archive-date=3 November 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20211103070023/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/sabah-fakhri-dies/2021/11/02/6e795a2a-3bdd-11ec-a493-51b0252dea0c_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Shadi Jamil]], [[Abed Azrie]] and [[Nour Mhanna]]. Many iconic artists of the Arab music like [[Sayed Darwish]] and [[Mohammed Abdel Wahab]] were visiting Aleppo to recognize the legacy of Aleppine art and learn from its cultural heritage. Aleppo is also known for its knowledgeable and cultivated listeners, known as ''sammi'a'' or "connoisseur listeners".<ref>{{cite book |last=Racy |first=A.J. |title=Making Music in the Arab World: The Culture and Artistry of Tarab |year=2003 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge, UK |isbn=978-0-521-31685-9 |page=248 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3-28hM3kdskC |access-date=25 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191029010339/https://books.google.com/books?id=3-28hM3kdskC |archive-date=29 October 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> Aleppine musicians often claim that no major Arab artist achieved fame without first earning the approval of the Aleppine ''sammi'a''.<ref>{{cite book |last=Shannon |first=Johnathan Holt |title=Among the Jasmine Trees: Music and Modernity in Contemporary Syria |url=https://archive.org/details/amongjasminetree00shan |url-access=registration |year=2006 |publisher=Wesleyan University Press |location=Middletown, CT |isbn=978-0-8195-6944-8}}</ref> Aleppo hosts many music shows and festivals every year at the citadel amphitheatre, such as the "Syrian Song Festival", the "Silk Road Festival" and "Khan al-Harir Festival". Al-Adeyat Archaeological Society founded in 1924 in Aleppo, is a cultural and social organization to preserve the tangible and intangible heritage of Aleppo and Syria in general. The society has branches in other governorates as well.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.aladeyat.org/ |title=Al-Adeyat Archaeological Society |access-date=3 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180303164725/https://www.aladeyat.org/ |archive-date=3 March 2018 |url-status=usurped}}</ref> ===Museums=== [[File:Aleppo citadel Museum laz.jpg|thumb|[[Aleppo Citadel Museum]]]] *[[National Museum of Aleppo]]. *Museum of the popular traditions known as the ''Aleppine House'' at [[Beit Achiqbash]] in [[al-Jdayde]]. *[[Aleppo Citadel Museum]]. *Museum of medicine and science at Bimaristan Arghun al-Kamili. *Aleppo Memory Museum at ''[[Beit Ghazaleh]]'' in al-Jdayde. *''Zarehian Treasury'' of the Armenian Apostolic Church at the old Armenian church of the Holy Mother of God, Al-Jdeydeh. ===Cuisine=== [[File:Kebab khashkhash.jpg|thumb|left|Kebab khashkhash from Aleppo]] {{see also|Syrian cuisine}} Aleppo is surrounded by olive, nut and fruit orchards, and its cuisine is the product of its fertile land and location along the [[Silk Road]].<ref name="acad" /> The International Academy of Gastronomy in France awarded Aleppo its culinary prize in 2007.<ref name="acad">{{cite news |title=NPR web: Food Lovers Discover The Joys of Aleppo |newspaper=NPR.org |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122058669 |access-date=5 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180118122510/https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122058669 |archive-date=18 January 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> The city has a wide selection of different types of dishes, such as [[kebab]], [[kibbeh]], [[dolma]], [[hummus]], ful halabi, [[za'atar]] halabi, muhshi. Ful halabi is a typical Aleppine breakfast meal: fava bean soup with a splash of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and Aleppo's red peppers. The za'atar of Aleppo (thyme) is a kind of oregano which is popular in the regional cuisines. [[File:Bakery, Aleppo, Syria - 1.jpg|thumb|Aleppine [[lahmajoun]]]] The kibbeh is one of the favourite foods of the locals, and the Aleppines have created more than 17 types of kibbeh dishes, which is considered a form of art for them. These include ''kibbeh'' prepared with [[sumac]] (''kәbbe sәmmāʔiyye''), [[yogurt]] (''kәbbe labaniyye''), [[quince]] (''[[Kibbeh safarjaliyeh|kәbbe safarjaliyye]]''), lemon juice (''kәbbe ḥāmḍa''), [[pomegranate]] sauce and [[cherry]] sauce. Other varieties include the "disk" ''kibbeh'' (''kәbbe ʔrāṣ''), the "plate" ''kibbeh'' (''kәbbe bәṣfīḥa'' or ''kәbbe bṣēniyye'') and the raw ''kibbeh'' (''kәbbe nayye''). Kebab Halabi – influenced by Armenian and Turkish tastes – has around 26 variants<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kuna.net.kw/ArticlePrintPage.aspx?id=1591518&language=ar |title=ﻛﻮﻧﺎ :: ﺍﻟﻤﻄﺒﺦ ﺍﻟﺤﻠﺒﻲ ﻳﻨﻔﺮﺩ ﺑﺘﻨﻮﻉ ﺍﻃﻌﻤﺘﻪ ﻭﻃﻴﺐ ﻧﻜﺘﻪ 11/01/2006 |publisher=Kuna.net.kw |access-date=29 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130922073820/http://www.kuna.net.kw/ArticlePrintPage.aspx?id=1591518&language=ar |archive-date=22 September 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> including: ''kebab'' prepared with cherry (''kebab karaz''), eggplant (''kebab banjan''), [[chili pepper]] with [[parsley]] and [[pine nut]] (''kebab khashkhash''), [[truffle]] (''kebab kamayeh''), [[tomato paste]] (''kebab hindi''), cheese and [[mushroom]] (''kebab ma'juʔa''), etc.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.isalep.com/cuisine-aleppo/?p=1362|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120421234007/http://www.isalep.com/cuisine-aleppo/?p=1362|url-status=dead|title=أنواع الكباب الحلبي : لؤلؤة المطبخ الحلبي|archivedate=21 April 2012|language=ar}}</ref> The favourite drink is [[Arak (distilled beverage)|Arak]], which is usually consumed along with [[meze]], Aleppine kebabs and kibbehs. [[Beer in Syria|Al-Shark beer]] – a product of Aleppo – is also among the favourite drinks. Local wines and brandies are consumed as well. Aleppo is the origin of different types of sweets and pastries. The Aleppine sweets, such as mabrumeh, siwar es-sett, balloriyyeh, etc., are characterized by containing high rates of ghee butter and sugar. Other sweets include mamuniyeh, shuaibiyyat, mushabbak, zilebiyeh, ghazel al-banat etc. Most pastries contain Aleppine pistachios and other types of nuts. ===Leisure and entertainment=== [[File:Aleppo Public Park (1).jpg|thumb|Aleppo Public Park]] Until the break-out of the [[Battle of Aleppo (2012–16)|Battle of Aleppo]] in July 2012, the city was known for its vibrant [[nightlife]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/27/arts/design/27preserve.html |title=Preserving Heritage, and the Fabric of Life, in Syria |last=Ourousseff |first=Nicolai |work=The New York Times |date=26 December 2010 |access-date=27 December 2016 |archive-date=20 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220102427/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/27/arts/design/27preserve.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Several night-clubs, bars and cabarets operated at the centre of the city as well as at the northern suburbs. The historic quarter of [[al-Jdayde]] was known for its pubs and boutique hotels, situated within ancient oriental mansions, providing special treats from the Aleppine flavour and cuisine, along with local music.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://heartoforient.blogspot.com.es/2012/09/aleppo-burns-dar-zamaria-sisi-house-and.html |title=ORIENT: Aleppo Burns – Dar Zamaria, Sisi House and much of Souq reported Burned- Syria Comment |last=Atlioglu |first=Dr Yasin |date=2012-09-30 |website=ORIENT |access-date=2017-01-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170102084425/http://heartoforient.blogspot.com.es/2012/09/aleppo-burns-dar-zamaria-sisi-house-and.html |archive-date=2 January 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Beehner |first=Lionel |date=2010-01-22 |title=Tourists Return to an Ancient Crossroads in Syria |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/24/travel/24next.html |access-date=2020-08-21 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=4 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804065904/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/24/travel/24next.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Club d'Alep]], opened in 1945, is a unique social club known for [[Contract bridge|bridge games]] and other nightlife activities, located in a 19th-century mansion in the Aziziyah district of central Aleppo.<ref>Philip Mansel (2016) Aleppo: The Rise and fall of Syria's Great Merchant City IB Taurus, p.55 and 13pl</ref> The [[Aleppo Public Park]], opened in 1949, is one of the largest planted parks in Syria, located near in the Aziziyah district, where [[Queiq River]] breaks through the green park.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.syria-news.com/readnews.php?sy_seq=53681 |title=Aleppo new fountains |access-date=3 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171009233650/http://syria-news.com/readnews.php?sy_seq=53681 |archive-date=9 October 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The ''Blue Lagoon'' water park – heavily damaged during the battles – was one of the favourite places among the locals, as it was the first water park in Syria. Aleppo's [[Shahba Mall]] – one of the largest shopping centres in Syria – was also among the most visited locations for the locals. It has received major damages during the civil war. ===Historical sites=== {{Main|Ancient City of Aleppo}} ====Souqs and khans==== {{Main|Al-Madina Souq}} [[File:Aleppo suq - GAR - 7-06.jpg|thumb|A shop in [[al-Madina Souq]] displaying [[Aleppo soap]] products, 2004]] [[File:Aleppo-suq-Alp.JPG|thumb|Ancient Aleppo, [[Al-Madina Souq]]]] The city's strategic trading position attracted settlers of all races and beliefs who wished to take advantage of the commercial roads that met in Aleppo from as far as China and [[Mesopotamia]] to the east, Europe to the west, and the [[Fertile Crescent]] and [[Egypt]] to the south. The largest covered [[souq]]-market in the world is in Aleppo, with an approximate length of {{cvt|13|km|abbr=off}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.esyria.sy/ealeppo/index.php?p=stories&category=round&filename=201010291220021 |title=eAleppo: The old Souqs of Aleppo (in Arabic) |publisher=Esyria.sy |access-date=11 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330131845/http://www.esyria.sy/ealeppo/index.php?p=stories&category=round&filename=201010291220021 |archive-date=30 March 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Forbes, Andrew, and Henley, David, ''[http://www.cpamedia.com/article.php?pg=archive&acid=120601100823&aiid=120601101137 Aleppo's Great Bazaar] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140823085443/http://www.cpamedia.com/article.php?pg=archive&acid=120601100823&aiid=120601101137 |date=23 August 2014 }}''</ref> ''[[Al-Madina Souq]]'', as it is locally known, is an active trade centre for imported luxury goods, such as raw silk from [[Iran]], spices and dyes from India, and coffee from [[Damascus]]. Souq al-Madina is also home to local products such as wool, agricultural products and soap. Most of the souqs date back to the 14th century and are named after various professions and crafts, hence the wool souq, the copper souq, and so on. Aside from trading, the souq accommodated the traders and their goods in ''khans'' ([[caravanserai]]s) and scattered in the souq. Other types of small market-places were called ''caeserias'' (ﻗﻴﺴﺎﺭﻳﺎﺕ). Caeserias are smaller than khans in their sizes and functioned as workshops for craftsmen. Most of the khans took their names after their location in the souq and function, and are characterized by their façades, entrances and fortified wooden doors. ====Gates of Aleppo and other historic buildings==== [[File:Antioch gate in Aleppo walls.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Bab Antakeya|Gate of Antioch]] rebuilt during the 11th century]] The old part of the city is surrounded with {{cvt|5|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}}, thick walls, pierced by the nine historical gates (many of them are well-preserved) of the old town. These are, clockwise from the north-east of the citadel: *[[Bab al-Hadid]], [[Bab al-Ahmar]], [[Bab al-Nairab]], [[Bab al-Maqam]], [[Bab Qinnasrin]], [[Bab Antakeya]], [[Bāb Jnēn]], [[Bab al-Faraj (Aleppo)|Bab al-Faraj]] and [[Bab al-Nasr (Aleppo)|Bab al-Nasr]]. The most significant historic buildings of the ancient city include: *[[Citadel of Aleppo|The Citadel]], a large fortress built atop a huge, partially artificial mound rising {{cvt|50|m}} above the city, dates back to the first millennium BC. Recent excavations unearthed a temple and 25 statues dating back to the first millennium BC.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dp-news.com/pages/detail.aspx?articleid=80968&l=2 |title=Aleppo ... Cultural Landmark, Trade Hub |agency=Xinhua News Agency |publisher=DP-news |date=16 April 2011 |access-date=11 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191029010341/http://www.dp-news.com/en/detail.aspx?articleid=80968 |archive-date=29 October 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> Many of the current structures date from the 13th century. The Citadel had been extensively damaged by earthquakes, notably in 1822. *[[Al-Shibani Church|Al-Shibani building]], [[al-Halawiyah Madrasa]], [[al-Muqaddamiyah Madrasa]], [[al-Zahiriyah Madrasa]], [[al-Sultaniyah Madrasa]], [[al-Firdaws Madrasa]], Bimaristan Arghun al-Kamili, [[Beit Junblatt]], [[Bab al-Faraj Clock Tower]], etc. [[File:Aleppo Night by Charles Hajj.jpg|left|thumb|[[Bab al-Faraj Clock Tower]]]] The following are among the important historic mansions of [[al-Jdayde]] Christian quarter:<ref>{{cite web |title=Ministry of Tourism, Syria: Aleppine House (in Arabic) |url=http://www.syriatourism.org/index.php?module=subjects&func=viewpage&pageid=2081 |access-date=22 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716101034/http://www.syriatourism.org/index.php?module=subjects&func=viewpage&pageid=2081 |archive-date=16 July 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> *''Beit Wakil'', an Aleppine mansion built in 1603, with unique wooden decorations. One of its decorations was taken to [[Berlin]] and exhibited in the [[Museum of Islamic Art, Berlin|Museum of Islamic Art]], known as the ''[[Aleppo Room]]''. *''[[Beit Achiqbash]]'', an old Aleppine house built in 1757. The building is home to the ''Popular Traditions Museum'' since 1975, showing fine decorations of the Aleppine art. *''[[Beit Ghazaleh]]'', an old 17th-century mansion characterized with fine decorations, carved by the Armenian sculptor ''Khachadur Bali'' in 1691. It was used as an Armenian elementary school during the 20th century. ====Places of worship==== [[File:Great Mosque of Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria.jpg|thumb|The courtyard of the Great Mosque of Aleppo]] [[File:Al-Shibani Alp8.JPG|thumb|[[Al-Shibani Church|Al-Shibani building]]]] *[[Great Mosque of Aleppo]] (Jāmi' Bani Omayya al-Kabīr), founded {{Circa|715}} by Umayyad caliph [[Walid I]] and most likely completed by his successor [[Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik|Sulayman]]. The building contains a tomb associated with [[Zechariah (priest)|Zachary]], father of [[John the Baptist]]. Construction of the present structure for Nur al-Din commenced in 1158. However, it was damaged during the [[Mongol]] invasion of 1260 and was rebuilt. The {{cvt|45|m|ft|adj=mid|-high}} tower (described as "the principal monument of medieval Syria")<ref name="Burns 1999 35">{{cite book |first=Russ |last=Burns |title=Monuments of Syria |url=https://archive.org/details/monumentsofsyria0000burn |url-access=registration |page=[https://archive.org/details/monumentsofsyria0000burn/page/35 35] |year=1999 |location=New York, London |isbn=9781860642449}}</ref> was erected in 1090–1092 under the first Seljuk sultan, [[Tutush I]]. It had four façades with different styles. The tower was completely destroyed during the Syrian civil war in March 2013 (reported on 24 March 2013). *[[Al-Nuqtah Mosque]] ("Mosque of the drop [of blood]"), a [[Shia|Shī'ah]] mosque, which contains a stone said to be marked by a drop of [[Husayn ibn Ali|Husayn]]'s blood. The site is believed to have previously been a monastery, which was converted into a mosque in 944. *[[Al-Shuaibiyah Mosque]], [[Al-Qaiqan Mosque]], [[Mahmandar Mosque]], [[Altun Bogha Mosque]], [[Al-Sahibiyah Mosque]], [[Bahsita Mosque]], [[Al-Tawashi Mosque]], [[Al-Otrush Mosque]], [[Al-Saffahiyah Mosque]], [[Khusruwiyah Mosque]], [[Al-Adiliyah Mosque]], [[Bahramiyah Mosque]], etc. *Churches of al-Jdayde quarter: the [[Forty Martyrs Cathedral|Forty Martyrs Armenian Apostolic Cathedral]], the [[Church of the Dormition of Our Lady|Dormition of Our Lady]] Greek Orthodox church, [[Mar Assia al-Hakim Church|Mar Assia al-Hakim Syrian Catholic church]], the [[Saint Elijah Cathedral, Aleppo|Maronite Cathedral of Saint Elijah]], the Armenian Catholic Cathedral of Our Mother of Reliefs and the Melkite Greek Catholic Cathedral of Virgin Mary. *[[Central Synagogue of Aleppo]] or al-Bandara synagogue, dating to the 9th century. The synagogue was destroyed during an anti-Jewish pogrom in 1947.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium.MAGAZINE-as-pogroms-targeted-aleppo-s-jews-my-family-made-a-dangerous-choice-to-flee-1.9828957 |title=As Pogroms Targeted Aleppo's Jews, My Family Made a Dangerous Choice: To Flee |newspaper=Haaretz |access-date=23 June 2021 |archive-date=22 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210622103449/https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium.MAGAZINE-as-pogroms-targeted-aleppo-s-jews-my-family-made-a-dangerous-choice-to-flee-1.9828957 |url-status=live }}</ref> In the 1980s, the building was restored, but destroyed again during the civil war.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://imageusa.com/restoring-the-great-synagogue-of-aleppo/ |title=Rstoring the Great Synagogue of Aleppo |date=7 November 2019 |access-date=23 June 2021 |archive-date=24 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624203138/https://imageusa.com/restoring-the-great-synagogue-of-aleppo/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ====Hammams==== [[File:Hammam Al-Nahhasseen Aleppo.jpg|thumb|[[Hammam al-Nahhasin]]]] Aleppo was home to 177 [[Turkish bath|hammams]] during the medieval period until the Mongol invasion, when many of the prominent structures of the city were destroyed. Before the civil war, 18 hammams were operating in the old city, including: *[[Hammam al-Nahhasin]] built during the 12th century near khan al-Nahhaseen. *Hammam al-Sultan built in 1211 by [[Az-Zahir Ghazi]]. *Hammam al-Bayadah of the Mamluk era built in 1450. *[[Hammam Yalbugha]] built in 1491 by the [[List of rulers of Aleppo|Emir of Aleppo]] Saif ad-Din Yalbugha al-Naseri.<ref>{{cite book |title=Syria & Lebanon |last1=Carter |first1=Terry |last2=Dunston |first2=Lara |last3=Humphreys |first3=Andrew |year=2004 |publisher=Lonely Planet |isbn=978-1-86450-333-3 |page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781864503333/page/186 186] |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781864503333 |url-access=registration |access-date=12 October 2015}}</ref> *Hammam al-Jawhary, hammam Azdemir, hammam Bahram Pasha, hammam Bab al-Ahmar, etc. As a city with an ancient architectural style characterized by covered markets, khans, baths, and schools, in addition to mosques and churches, the city is an archaeological treasure in need of continuous care and maintenance. The city was significantly replanned after the end of World War II. In 1954, an architectural plan was adopted by the French architect André Guitton, who proposed the construction of several wide avenues through the city to accommodate the entry of cars. Between 1954 and 1983, many old neighborhoods were demolished under this pretext for expansion, particularly in the northern areas such as Bab al-Faraj and Bab Janin. However, growing awareness of the importance of these buildings ultimately led to the cancellation of Guitton's plan in 1979 and its replacement by a plan by the Swiss urban engineer Stefano Bianco, who launched the idea of preserving the ancient urban fabric of Old Aleppo. This paved the way for UNESCO to include the Old City of Aleppo on the World Heritage List in 1986.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-10-07 |title=موقع حلب - مخططات "حلب" التنظيمية عبر التاريخ |url=http://esyria.sy/sites/code/index.php?site=aleppo&p=stories&category=misc&filename=201009251220032 |access-date=2025-03-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191007050846/http://esyria.sy/sites/code/index.php?site=aleppo&p=stories&category=misc&filename=201009251220032 |archive-date=7 October 2019 }}</ref> ===Nearby attractions and the ''Dead Cities''=== {{Main|Dead Cities}} [[File:Kharab Shams Basilica, Dead Cities region, NW Syria.jpg|thumb|left|Kharab Shams Basilica, 4th century]] Aleppo's western suburbs are home to a group of historical sites and villages which are commonly known as the ''[[Dead Cities]]''. Around 700 abandoned settlements in the northwestern parts of Syria before the 5th century, contain remains of Christian [[Byzantine architecture]]. Many hundreds of those settlements are in [[Mount Simeon]] (Jabal Semaan) and Jabal Halaqa regions at the western suburbs of Aleppo, within the range of [[Limestone Massif]].<ref>[http://www.syria.strabon.org/ua/pm_villesmortes/antique-villages/index_en.html Ancient villages (dead cities)]{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Dead Cities were inscribed as a [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]] in 2011, under the name of "Ancient Villages of Northern Syria".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1348 |title=Ancient Villages of Northern Syria |author=UNESCO |access-date=30 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111018204926/http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1348/ |archive-date=18 October 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[File:Church of Saint Simeon Stylites 01.jpg|thumb|Church of Saint Simeon Stylites, 5th century]] The most notable ''Dead cities'' and archaeological sites in Mount Simeon and [[Kurd Mountain|Mount Kurd]] near Aleppo include: Kalota Castle and churches northwest of Aleppo, Kharab Shams Byzantine basilica of the 4th century,<ref>eAleppo:Kharab Shams [http://www.esyria.sy/ealeppo/index.php?p=stories&category=ruins&filename=200812270845011 Kharab Shams in history (in Arabic)] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330131819/http://www.esyria.sy/ealeppo/index.php?p=stories&category=ruins&filename=200812270845011 |date=30 March 2012 }}</ref> the half-ruined Roman basilica in [[Fafertin]] village dating back to 372 AD, the old Byzantine settlement of [[Surqanya]] village at the northwest of Aleppo, the 4th-century Basilica of Sinhar settlement, the Mushabbak Basilica dating back to the second half of the 5th century, the 9th-century BC Assyrian settlement of [[Kafr Nabu]], [[Barad, Syria|Brad]] village and the [[Julian of Antioch|Saint Julianus]] Maronite monastery (399–402 AD) where the shrine of [[Maron|Saint Maron]] is located, the 5th-century Kimar settlement of the Roman and Byzantine eras, the [[Church of Saint Simeon Stylites]] of the 5th century, the [[Syro-Hittite states|Syro-Hittite]] [[Ain Dara temple]] of the [[Iron Age]] dating back to the 10th and 8th centuries BC, the ancient city of [[Cyrrhus]] with the old Roman amphitheatre and two historic bridges, etc.
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