Aleppo, Syria: What to See as the Old City Reopens

Can you visit Aleppo? Yes. Aleppo, in northern Syria, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and was for centuries one of the great trading cities of the Middle East. The war left its old city badly damaged, and the 2023 earthquake added more destruction, but the city is reopening: the Citadel of Aleppo welcomed visitors again in September 2025, and the Great Umayyad Mosque reopened in October 2026 after 13 years. This guide covers what you can see in Aleppo today, what is still being restored, what to eat, how to get there and the day trips worth making.

Before you go, read our honest answer to is Syria safe to visit?, our Syria visa guide and the complete Syria travel guide.

Aleppo at a glance

The Citadel of Aleppo

The Citadel of Aleppo is the city’s landmark and reopened to visitors on September 27, 2025, after years of closure and months of restoration. It rises on a great mound in the center of the old city, surrounded by a moat that was once about 22 meters deep.

You enter across a bridge and through a fortified gate whose lower section dates back to Roman times. Inside are the remains of millennia of history: a temple from the 9th century BC, Roman and Byzantine remains, water cisterns, two mosques, defensive towers, barracks and historic houses. From the walls you get the best view over Aleppo, including the damaged old city around it.

The Great Umayyad Mosque

The Great Umayyad Mosque of Aleppo reopened on October 8, 2026, after being closed for 13 years. Founded in the early 8th century, around the same time as the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, it is the city’s most important mosque.

The mosque was heavily damaged during the war, and its famous 11th-century minaret collapsed in 2013. Restoration work resumed in November 2025, and surviving original pieces were built back into the mosque rather than replaced. As with every mosque in Syria, visitors should dress modestly and avoid prayer times.

The old souqs

Before the war, Aleppo’s covered souqs were one of the largest historic markets in the world, kilometers of vaulted stone lanes between the Citadel and the Antioch Gate. They were severely damaged by fire and fighting from 2012.

Restoration has been slow and is still going on. A section known as Souq al-Saqatiyya reopened in 2019, and more lanes and caravanserais have been repaired since. Expect to see a mix of rebuilt arcades, working shops and lanes still in ruins. A local guide can show you which parts are open.

Walking the old city today

Walking through old Aleppo today is moving and sometimes difficult. Restored buildings stand next to damaged ones, and residents are rebuilding homes, shops and workshops. Some of the places to look for:

• The khans: the old caravanserais where merchants stored their goods, some of them now being restored.
• The hammams: the city’s historic bathhouses.
• The Christian quarter of al-Jdeideh: churches, courtyard houses and narrow lanes northwest of the old souqs.
• Aleppo soap workshops: the city is famous for its olive oil and laurel soap.

What to eat in Aleppo

Aleppo is often called the food capital of Syria, and a meal here is a reason in itself to visit.

• Kebab: Aleppo is known for its many kinds of kebab, including kebab with sour cherries in season.
• Kibbeh in dozens of local styles.
• Muhammara: the red pepper and walnut dip, made with the mild Aleppo pepper.
• Pistachio sweets: the pistachios of the Aleppo region are famous, and they fill many of its sweets.

How to get to Aleppo

You can fly into Aleppo or drive up from Damascus or the coast.

• By air: Aleppo International Airport has regional flights, and visas on arrival are issued there. See our Syria visa guide for approval rules.
• By road from Damascus: about 350 km on the main highway via Homs and Hama, around five hours with checkpoints.
• From the coast: about three hours from Latakia.

Day trips from Aleppo

Three trips stand out within a few hours of the city.

• The Ancient Villages of Northern Syria: the “Dead Cities,” a UNESCO World Heritage Site of hundreds of abandoned late Roman and Byzantine villages in the hills west of Aleppo, including the Church of Saint Simeon Stylites. Check access and mine clearance with your guide.
• Qal’at Ja’bar: a castle on an island in Lake Assad on the Euphrates, east of Aleppo, reached by a causeway.
• Hama: the famous wooden water wheels, about two hours south, on the way to Damascus.

Safety in Aleppo

Aleppo is calmer than it was during the war, and tourists are returning, but it is covered by the “do not travel” advice that the US, UK, Canada and Australia apply to all of Syria. Damaged buildings can be unstable, and unexploded ordnance remains a risk in former front-line areas. Travel with a local guide, stay on paved streets and open lanes, and read our Syria safety guide before you go.

Travel with a local guide

Simsem’s hosts run journeys through northern Syria and the country’s heritage sites:

See every host and tour on our local guides in Syria page.

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