Ancient City of Aleppo


World Heritage Identification Number: 21

World Heritage since: 1986

Category: Cultural Heritage

Transboundary Heritage: No

Endangered Heritage: Yes

Country: 🇸🇾 Syrian Arab Republic

Continent: Asia

UNESCO World Region: Arab States

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The Ancient City of Aleppo: A Historical Crossroads of Civilizations

The Ancient City of Aleppo, located in modern-day Syria, stands as a testament to the rich cultural heritage and historical significance of this region. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986, the ancient city center of Aleppo offers a glimpse into the past, providing insights into the various civilizations that have shaped its development over thousands of years.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

Located at the crossroads of several trade routes from the 2nd millennium B.C., Aleppo was ruled successively by the Hittites, Assyrians, Arabs, Mongols, Mamelukes and Ottomans. The 13th-century citadel, 12th-century Great Mosque and various 17th-century madrasas, palaces, caravanserais and hammams all form part of the city's cohesive, unique urban fabric, now threatened by overpopulation.

Encyclopedia Record: Ancient Aleppo

The Ancient City of Aleppo is the historic city centre of Aleppo, Syria. Prior to the Syrian Civil War, many districts of the ancient city remained essentially unchanged since they were initially constructed between the 11th and 16th centuries. Being subjected to constant invasions and political instability, the inhabitants of the city were forced to build economically independent cell-like quarters and districts, most of which were delineated along ethnic and religious lines. These urban subdistricts, along with the ancient walled city that they surround, comprise an approximate area of 350 hectares and are home to more than 120,000 residents.

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Additional Site Details

Area: 364 hectares

UNESCO Criteria: (iii) — Unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape

Coordinates: 36.1991666667 , 37.1627777778

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Image of Ancient City of Aleppo

© Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)

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Nearby World Heritage Sites

Ancient Villages of Northern Syria
32 km — Syrian Arab Republic
Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din
179 km — Syrian Arab Republic
Göbekli Tepe
194 km — Türkiye
Site of Palmyra
209 km — Syrian Arab Republic
Ouadi Qadisha (the Holy Valley) and the Forest of the Cedars of God (Horsh Arz el-Rab)
217 km — Lebanon

Country Information: Syrian Arab Republic

Flag of Syrian Arab Republic

Official Name: Syrian Arab Republic

Capital: Damascus

Continent: Asia

Population (2024): 24,672,760

Population (2023): 23,594,623

Population (2022): 22,462,173

Land Area: 183,630 sq km

Currency: Syrian pound (SYP)

Country Data Sources

Last updated: January 18, 2026

Portions of the page Ancient City of Aleppo are based on data from UNESCO — World Heritage List Dataset and on text from the Wikipedia article Ancient Aleppo, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes made. Additional original content by World Heritage Explorer (WHE), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. WHE is not affiliated with UNESCO or the World Heritage Committee. Legal Notice. Privacy Policy.

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