Middle East - Anthony Ham [420]
Christian Quarter
The Christian quarter of Al-Jdeida is a charming, beautifully maintained warren of long, narrow stone-flagged alleyways. The quarter is undergoing something of a rebirth, with age-old townhouses being converted into hotels, restaurants and bars.
One of the main attractions here is the Museum of Popular Tradition (Le Musee des Trad-itions; Map; 333 6111; Sharia Haret al-Yasmin; adult/student S£75/5; 8am-2pm Wed-Mon), housed in the lovely Beit Ajiqbash (1757). The artefacts showcasing everyday life in centuries past are interesting enough, but it’s the splendid architecture and intricate interior decoration that will live in the memory, especially the guest room, with its amazing silver ceiling and snake-entwined light fitting, and the courtyard decoration. This is how many homes in Al-Jdeida once looked.
Close to the museum you’ll find five major churches, each aligned to a different denomination.
Immediately west of the museum is the Syrian Catholic Church (Mar Assia al-Hakim; Map), built in 1625 and happy to admit visitors who come knocking.
Next stop is the 19th-century Greek Orthodox Church (Map) and further beyond that, still on Haret al-Yasmin, is the entrance to the 17th-century Armenian Cathedral of the 40 Martyrs (Map); if possible, it’s worth visiting on a Sunday to observe the Armenian mass performed here, which is still pervaded with a sensuous aura of ritual. It starts at 10am and lasts two hours.
North of these three, on Saahat Farhat, are the Maronite Cathedral (Map) and a smaller Greek Catholic Church (Map), which date to the 19th century.
National Museum
Aleppo’s main museum (Map; 221 2400; Sharia al-Baron; adult/student S£150/10; 9am-5.30pm Wed-Mon Apr-Sep, to 3.30pm Wed-Mon Oct-Mar) could be mistaken for a sports hall if it weren’t for the extraordinary colonnade of giant granite figures that fronts the entrance. The wide-eyed characters are replicas of pillars that once supported the ceiling of an 8th- or 9th-century-BC temple-palace complex unearthed in Tell Halaf in northeastern Syria.
Inside, the collection is made up of other finds from northern Syria – there are some beautiful pieces including from Mari (Click here), Ugarit (Click here) and around Hama, with some fascinating cuneiform tablets from Ebla. But the labelling is abysmal and the presentation is otherwise poor, so only budding archaeologists with strong imaginations will find it worth the entry fee.
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ACTIVITIES
At the foot of the citadel, on the southeast side, the Hammam Yalbougha an-Nasry (Map; Sharia al-Qala’a) was one of Syria’s finest working bathhouses and something of a city showpiece, although it remained closed at the time of writing, after renovations, as the government looks for someone willing to pay the extortionate running costs.
Originally constructed in 1491, it has a splendid sun clock inside the dome above reception; if it’s operational again, don’t leave Aleppo without having a massage and scrub here.
If Hammam Yalbougha an-Nasry is still closed, women should try Hammam al-Sallhia ( 333 3572; Sharia Bab al-Makkam; complete massage & scrub S£600), around 300m south of the citadel entrance. It’s open for women from 11am to 5pm but not necessarily every day.
The renovated, men-only Hammam al-Nahaseen (Map; hammam only S£300, complete massage & scrub S£500; 7am-8pm), in the heart of the souq just south of the Great Mosque, is open long hours and is still a local favourite, despite increasingly attracting tourists.
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TOURS
For organising trips around the sights close to Aleppo and further afield, Halabia Travel & Tourism ( 224 8497, 0944 245 543; www.halabia-travel.com) is recommended. For a car and driver, you’ll pay €30 to €50 for day trips and it also has plans for train tours and can arrange visas.
Most of the budget hotels offer a range of day trips to attractions in the area; you’ll be looking at a base rate of