The National Museum of Aleppo

Almost everything dug up in northern Syria came here. The museum was founded in 1931 in a small Ottoman mansion, and when the collection outgrew it the present modern building replaced it in 1966. Its best-known piece is not inside: it is the entrance itself.

Getting there

On Baron Street, a few hundred metres north-west of Bab al-Faraj square. You can walk from the clock tower; no taxi needed.

What to see

The entrance is a rebuilt temple-palace gate from Tell Halaf. Three huge basalt figures stand in turn on a lion, a bull and a sphinx. They come from the Iron Age, from the Neo-Hittite world, and you climb the steps directly beneath them.

Inside, the ground floor is given to the ancient civilisations of Syria: Mari, Ugarit, Ebla, Tell Halaf, Arslan Tash, Tell Ahmar. The cuneiform tablets and statues of Mari are here. The upper floor carries the classical period, the Arab-Islamic period and painters from Aleppo.

How it stands today

The museum was hit by missiles and mortar fire in July 2016, and the roof and structure were badly damaged. Most of the collection had been evacuated before that. The earthquake of 6 February 2023 cracked the façade and damaged some objects. Which halls are open to visitors varies, so ask before you go.

Do not miss

The shelter brought from Mureybet. It is dated to 8500 BC and counts among the oldest known human dwellings. Its case is plain, and most visitors walk straight past it.