Aleppo Citadel
Syria Pictures

Aleppo's Citadel.

Aleppo offers much the same balance of ancient structures and colourful daily life as Damascus. It also claims to be the world's oldest continually inhabited city, with records indicating a civic core as long ago as 1900 BC, though the usual invasions and earthquakes took their toll and Europe's Industrial revolution finished them off as a commercial centre.
World Heritage buildings and striking Islamic architecture compete with the extensive, kaleidoscopic souq and some good hamamms to keep travellers clean and supple.
Not far out of town are an easy couple of days of sightseeing - dozens of spooky 'Dead Cities', [mysteriously abandoned ghost towns] to the south, as well St Simeon's basilica in the north. Simon was the unbalanced individual who chose to spend most of his life getting high on pillars in the name of Christ. Kids! Just say no!

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Photos: Damascus | Palmyra

Syria Pictures © Watson