The Sultaniyya Madrasa

An Ayyubid building on the south edge of the citadel square, directly opposite the ramp that climbs to the gate. It had no single function: madrasa, mosque and tomb are gathered around one courtyard. The tomb holds al-Malik al-Zahir Ghazi, son of Saladin.

Getting there

Walk into the citadel square and turn your back on the castle gate. The stone facade behind the palm trees, in the same row as the Al-Otrush Mosque, is the one. It is a minute on foot from the square.

What to see

The muqarnas portal on the facade is visible from the square. Photographs taken before the war show the prayer hall’s mihrab, inlaid with coloured marble under a band of Kufic script; it counted among the finest in Aleppo.

What not to miss

The way the building faces the citadel. Its Ayyubid patron set his madrasa to look straight at the castle gate, and standing in the square with both in one view is the clearest way to read that choice.

How it stands today

The complex was heavily damaged during the war, and reports based on satellite imagery describe most of the structure as destroyed. Whether you can go inside depends on the day; looking at it from the square is possible either way.