The Uthmaniyya Madrasa
A large Ottoman complex just beyond Bab al-Nasr, built between 1730 and 1738. Its courtyard is ringed by 42 student rooms, and its minaret is cylindrical.
- Opening hours
- Daylight hours, outside prayer times
- Entry
- Free
- Duration
- 30 minutes
- Best time
- Late morning, courtyard shaded and the portico domes in the light
- Period
- Ottoman
- Address
- South-east of Bab al-Nasr, Old City, Aleppo
A large Ottoman complex in the north of the walled city, just beyond Bab al-Nasr. It was built between 1730 and 1738 as the endowment of Othman Pasha al-Duraki, governor of Aleppo. It is also known as the Ridaiyya Madrasa, and it was founded as a mosque and a teaching college at once.
Getting there
About 160 metres south-east of Bab al-Nasr. The west gate is the entrance nearest the city gate; the lane is narrow and the building tall, so you only see the complex whole once you are in the courtyard.
What to see
A broad courtyard, a prayer hall across from you fronted by a portico of three domes, and an iwan on either side of the hall. Student rooms wrap the courtyard on all four sides; there are 42 of them, each with its own arched door. Trees and a low garden plot stand in the middle of the court.
Don’t miss
The minaret. Traditional Aleppo mosques have square minarets; this one is cylindrical and Ottoman in style, and it is reckoned the tallest among the city’s traditional mosques. Seen from the street, the difference from the square minarets around it is immediate.
Today
There is no verified record of the damage to this building or the state of its repair. The Bab al-Nasr quarter around it was damaged in the war, and the gate itself was repaired in 2018. The hours the courtyard is open vary, so ask at the door.
Tips
- Look at the minaret from the street; its round shaft sets it apart from the square ones nearby
- Look closely at the doors of the student rooms round the court, each has its own arch
- See it on the same walk as Bab al-Nasr; two minutes lie between them
Transparency
- How this was chosen
- Written by hand; opening hours, entry fee and coordinates are kept as data. A field that is not known for certain is marked as variable rather than guessed.
- Facts checked
- September 2026
- Last updated
- September 15, 2026