The Ancient City of Aleppo is the historic city centre of Aleppo, Syria. Before the Syrian Civil War, many districts of the ancient city remained essentially unchanged since its construction during the 12th to the 16th century. Being subjected to constant invasions and political instability, the inhabitants of the city were forced to build cell-like quarters and districts that were socially and economically independent. Each district was characterized by the religious and ethnic characteristics of its inhabitants.

The Old City of Aleppo – composed of the ancient city within the walls and the old cell-like quarters outside the walls – has an approximate area of 350 hectares (860 acres; 3.5 km²), housing more than 120,000 residents.

Characterized by its large mansions, narrow alleys, covered souqs and ancient caravanserais, the Ancient City of Aleppo became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. 30%of the Ancient City of Aleppo has been destroyed in the fighting.

Photography: Ahmad Rihawi, 2009

The Citadel of Aleppo (Arabic: قلعة حلب‎) is a large medieval fortified palace in the centre of the old city of Aleppo, northern Syria. It is considered to be one of the oldest and largest castles in the world. Usage of the Citadel hill dates back at least to the middle of the 3rd millennium BC. Subsequently, occupied by many civilizations including the Greeks, Byzantines, Ayyubids and Mamluks, the majority of the construction as it stands today is thought to originate from the Ayyubid period. An extensive conservation work took place in the 2000s by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in collaboration with Aleppo Archeological Society. Dominating the city, the Citadel is part of the Ancient City of Aleppo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986. The Citadel received significant damage during the Battle of Aleppo. It was reopened to the public in early 2017 with repairs to damaged parts underway.

Photography: Ahmad Rihawi, 2010

Public Park of Aleppo (in Arabic: الحديقة العامة بحلب) is a 17 hectare urban park located in Aleppo, Syria. With its hexagonal shape the park is located in Gare de Baghdad district covering an area between Jamiliyeh and Aziziyeh districts. It is bordered by “Majd Al-Deen Al-Jabiri” street from the east, “Kamel Al-Ghazzi” street from the west and Saadallah Al-Jabiri Square from the south. The park is intersected by Queiq River-

The park is home to many art works of famous Syrian sculptors. The statue of emir Sayf al-Dawla is located at the main entrance while the statue of poet Khalil al-Hindawi is located near the central fountains.

Photography: Ahmad Rihawi, 2006

New Aleppo (Halab al-Jadida) is one of the largest neighborhoods in Aleppo city in Syria. It is a residential area has Aleppine’s classical buildings, which was built with white stones. New Aleppo is an extension of the city to the west.

Photography: Ahmad Rihawi, 2009

Photography: Ahmad Rihawi, 2009