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The Aleppo citadel is one of the world's largest castles. The citadel hill has been in use since the 3rd millenium BC, with the first acropolis built on the site by Seleucus I Nicator, a general of Alexander the Great, in the 3rd century BC.
Over the sebsequent millenia, it was a place of religious significance to the Romans and Byzantines and was held, in turn, by Hamdanids, Fatimids, Mirdasids and the Zengids. During the time of the Crusades it was a highly important fortress and prison and was rebuilt in part by al-Malik al-Adil Nur ad-Din Abu al-Qasim Mahmud Ibn 'Imad ad-Din Zangi.
Most of the current building dates from the rule of Saladin's son, Az-Zahir Ghazi in the laste 12th and early 13th centuries. Subsequently damaged by attacks by the Mongols in the 13th and 15th centuries, it was renovated by the Mamluks, Ottomans and French and soldiers continued to be stationed there until the end of the French Mandate in 1945.
Aleppo citadel, Aleppo, Syria.
The Citadel of Aleppo is the most prominent historic architectural site in Aleppo. It was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986. Its majestic stature forms the center of the city; in fact the city wraps around it extending a spider-like infrastructural web of streets forming the city's organic urban form.
The Citadel has an elliptical base with a length of 450m and width of 325m, at the top this ellipse measures 285m by 160m with the height of this slanting foundation measuring 50m. The entire mound was covered with large blocks of gleaming limestone that unified the built structure with the hill thus increasing its visual scale. It was also surrounded by a moat filled with water to protect against intruders. The Citadel hovers over the city in a uniqueness that rivals the larger Citadel of Cairo and the more massive Citadel of Damascus.
Although the Citadel is an Islamic landmark, archeological digs have uncovered Roman and Byzantine ruins dating back to the 9th century BC. The Citadel was originally a Neo-Hittite acropolis built on a natural hill; this provided a strategic site for a military fortress to guard and protect the surrounding agricultural areas.
Sayf al-Dawla (944-967), the first Hamdanid ruler of Aleppo, built the fortress and used the citadel as a military center of power over his region. Zangid ruler Nur al-Din (1147-1174) fortified the citadel and added some structures such as the Small Mosque of the Citadel. But it wasn't until Ayyubid period during the reign of the Sultan al-Zahir al-Ghazi of Aleppo (1186-1216) that the Citadel went through major reconstruction, fortification and addition of new structures that create the complex of the Citadel in its current form. During the first decade of the thirteenth century the citadel evolved into a palatial city that included functions ranging from residential (palaces and baths), religious (mosque and shrines), military installations (arsenal, training ground defense towers and the entrance block) and supporting elements (water cisterns and granaries).
Skopje , Shkupi , Skopie, Skoplje , Uskub, Ueskub
Skopje citadel towers
The fortification of Skopje.
Skopje , Republic of Macedonia
On a hilltop site overlooking central Amman sits the Citadel, a complex of buildings and ruins dating back to classical times (when the city was known as Philadelphia) onwards and including the ruins of several temples, the most prominent of which is the Temple of Hercules, with several columns still standing at full height.
Later remains date from the Byzantine and Umayyad periods, an impressive domed throne-room from the latter dynasty, and reflect the rich history of the site.
For more detail see below:-
De Citadel by Christian de Portzamparc architects, Almere new city center masterplan by Koolhaas/OMA, Almere, the Netherlands
The striking mosque built by Muhammad Ali Pasha in Cairo's historic Citadel, commanding fine views over the city.
'We've got to get out of this place!'
Three LNER staff ponder the way to get back after their trip into theBorder City!
What a wonderful photographic position was lost when the overhead line equipment was installed for the West Coast Main Line electrification in the 1970s. The saving grace is that no palisade fencing has been erected adjoining the carriage sidings, yet! As a DB Schenker class 66 glides through Carlisle station with stone from Shap, the clock is turned back with the foreground scene of 46233 'Duchess of Sutherland' in the carriage sidings.
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