Thanks a lot!
The last city we visit is Aleppo, in the north west of the country.
Like Damscus it seems to be one of the oldest cities in the world..
Quote:
Aleppo is a city in northern Syria, capital of the Aleppo Governorate; the Governorate extends around the city for over 16,000 km² and has a population of 4,393,000, making it the largest Governorate in Syria.
Aleppo is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world; it knew human settlement since the eleventh millennium B.C. through the residential houses that were discovered in Tell Qaramel.
It occupies a strategic trading point midway between the Mediterranean Sea and the Euphrates. Initially, Aleppo was built on a small group of hills surrounding the prominent hill where the castle is erected.
The main role of the city was as a trading place, as it sat at the crossroads of two trade routes and mediated the trade from India, the Tigris and Euphrates regions and the route coming from Damascus in the South. (Wikipedia)
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The city looks even more chaotic than other Syrian cities.
But the people are more open to visitors, welcoming and very friendly.
An impression, starting by the
'modern' and colonial part of town.
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2. Taxi!
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6. The legandary Baron-hotel near the train station where the Oriënt Express had a stop.
Famous people like T.E. Lawrence, Agatha Christie and Charles De Gaulle stayed for the night.
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8. Businnes District...
9....even more taxi's...
10. Sunset.
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13. Christian Churches in the Al-Jdeida-neighbourhood..
14. De Armenian Cathedral.
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16. But the majority is Moslim, of course.
The most important mosque is the Great Umayyad Mosque, built by Caliph Walid I in the 8th Century.
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19. Street scène near the mosque.
Next visit: the fabulous Souqs and the breathtaking Citadel.