Aleppo Public Park

If you know Aleppo through its old city, this comes as a surprise: 17 hectares of hexagonal park in the middle of town. It lies between the Jamiliyah and Aziziyah quarters, with Saadallah al-Jabiri Square closing it off to the south. For Aleppines it is not a sight but a habit, and on weekend afternoons there is no grass left to sit on.

How the park began

It was laid out in 1949, through the joint effort of local residents and the city authorities. So it comes not from the khans and souqs of the old city but from a republican idea of public space, and this is where the 20th-century face of Aleppo is easiest to read. In October 2006 dancing fountains were installed at the centre.

Getting there

Coming from the south you enter from Saadallah al-Jabiri Square. Majd al-Din al-Jabiri street runs along the eastern edge and Kamel al-Ghazzi street along the western one, and there are gates on both. Five minutes on foot from Aziziyah, ten from Baghdad Station. From the citadel side a taxi is easier.

What to see

There is more sculpture here than people expect: work by Syrian sculptors is scattered through the grounds. The statue of Sayf al-Dawla stands at the main entrance, the Hamdanid emir who held Aleppo in the 10th century. Near the central fountains is a statue of the poet Khalil al-Hindawi. The Queiq river cuts straight across the park, and this is one of the few places in the city where you see it in the open.

How long it takes

An hour. The park offers no list of buildings; walking the main axis down to the fountains and crossing to the river side is the visit. Early morning and late afternoon are the easy hours, since there is little shade at midday.

What most people miss

The Khalil al-Hindawi statue. Everybody sees Sayf al-Dawla because he stands at the gate; the poet is over by the fountains, and most visitors walk past without looking.