Aleppo from Bab al-Faraj to al-Aqaba: the Mevlevi lodge, two gates and the city’s oldest hill

This walk follows the north-west side of the walls from Bab al-Faraj Square, enters the old city at Bab Antakiya and climbs the al-Aqaba ridge, lining up four layers of Aleppo along a short line. It starts at the clock tower, finished in 1899, and the National Library, which opened its doors in 1945; close by, the minaret of the Bahsita Mosque carries an inscription band dated 1350. Then comes the Mevlevi lodge, founded in the 16th century, which for a time after 1925 was the centre of the order. After that, two gates: Bab al-Jinan, of which only the name is left, and Bab Antakiya, which still stands. The last stop is al-Aqaba, which researchers count as the city’s first settlement; a Hittite stele from the 14th century BC is built into the wall of the Al-Qaiqan Mosque. A little over a kilometre, seven stops, two and a half hours.

The route

The clock tower stands in the middle of Bab al-Faraj Square. From the tower go east, one lane in from the main road: the Bahsita Mosque is about 100 metres away; ask for the neighbourhood by name, Bahsita. Go back to the square the same way. The National Library is the striped stone building right next to the clock tower, about 150 metres. From the library walk south-west along Bab al-Faraj Street, outside the wall; the Mevlevi lodge is close to 300 metres on, between Bab al-Faraj and Bab al-Jinan. Locals also call it the Mawlawiyya Mosque. Walk about 150 metres south from here and you reach Bab al-Jinan. The gate itself is gone; the market that carries its name is still there. Bab Antakiya is close to 400 metres further south; follow the street of khans that runs along the line of the wall. Go through the gate into the old city: the Al-Shu’aybiyya Mosque is immediately on your right. Without turning into the souq, take the slope that climbs to the left, northwards; the Al-Qaiqan Mosque is about 100 metres north of the gate, and the slope leads you into al-Aqaba.

Timing

Be at the clock tower at 09:00; the square fills up in the afternoon. Look at the four dials: two facing each other were set to Ottoman time, the other two to European time. To see the wind vane on top, cross to the far end of the square. Ten minutes. At 09:15, the Bahsita: the octagonal minaret is on the east side because in 1911 it was taken down and moved there so the street could be widened. The 120 cm inscription band below the balcony gives the mosque’s date: 1350. A quarter of an hour. At 09:35, the National Library: read the façade from the far pavement. Above the entrance is an Arabic inscription, and above that a window with stalactite carving. If you want to use the reading room, ask about the conditions at the door. A quarter of an hour. At 09:55, the Mevlevi lodge: look at the painted wooden main door and the Ottoman Turkish inscription above it; the short minaret rises directly over the door. If the gate is open, step into the courtyard of 1834 and look first at the high, screened iwans built so that women could watch the sema, the whirling ceremony. Half an hour. At 10:30, Bab al-Jinan: the gate was pulled down around 1900 to widen the road; the direction of the streets and the position of the market are what it left behind. Ten minutes. At 10:50, Bab Antakiya: walk into the deep passage between the two towers. The large blocks in the lower courses are older than those above, and the passage is cooler than the street outside. A quarter of an hour. At 11:10, al-Aqaba: on the south wall of the Al-Qaiqan Mosque, look for the basalt Hittite stele set into the masonry. The minaret of the Kamaliyya zawiya rises straight from its stalactite portal; cross to the opposite corner to get both in one view. Twenty minutes. The route ends around 11:30.

Take care

Bab al-Faraj Square is open to traffic and noisy; take care crossing between the tower and the library. The tower cannot be entered, only seen from the square. We could not verify whether the Mevlevi lodge is open today: Türkiye’s Culture Inventory listed it as accessible in March 2026, but we found no dated photograph or repair report to back that up. The library’s opening hours have varied since the war. The area around Bab Antakiya was heavily damaged in the war; part of the souq has been repaired, part is still closed, and which branch is open changes. Al-Aqaba has slopes and dead-end lanes; when you ask the way, try both al-Aqaba and al-Jalloum. In the mosques, women need a head covering and shoes come off at the door. At the library and the Mevlevi lodge entry conditions vary, so check at the door; the other stops are free. Do not turn into closed lanes or enter ruined buildings.