From the gates to the souq: four stops in old Aleppo

Old Aleppo is entered from its southwestern corner through two gates: Bab Qinnasrin and Bab Antakiya. This walk joins them, goes into the covered souq at the second gate, and ends in the courtyard of the Great Mosque. It comes to 1570 metres in all, and the longest leg is 910 metres. The citadel is not on this route; the way down from the citadel has a page of its own. What matters here is the line of the wall — seeing how the city was entered from outside.

The route

Start at Bab Qinnasrin. What stands today was built in 1256, and the first gate here went up in 964 under Sayf al-Dawla. Approach it from the right; the courses of light and dark stone read from that angle. Then walk north along the line of the wall: 910 metres, 11 minutes, and you come out at Bab Antakiya. This second gate is the western mouth of the market. The moment you pass under the arch the open street ends and the covered souq begins. Walk east along the main axis for 490 metres — the repaired part of the Al-Madina Souq starts here, with khan courtyards opening on both sides. The last leg is short: 170 metres up the branch that turns north, and you are in the courtyard of the Great Mosque.

Timing

Be at Bab Qinnasrin at 08:30. The gate is open ground and keeps no hours; morning light rakes the stone courses from the side and the square is still quiet. At 09:15 you are at Bab Antakiya, which is when the market opens. Enter the souq at 09:45 and give it two hours. Stay on the main axis and you miss half of it, because the real architecture is in the khan courtyards. Reach the Great Mosque before 12:00. After that the courtyard has no shade, and the midday prayer fills it. Friday afternoon is quiet in the souq but most shops are shut; pick another day.

Take care

Repair work is going on. Which arm of the souq is open changes from month to month, so ask before you go in; a closed lane sends you back to the main axis and lengthens the walk. The minaret of the Great Mosque fell in 2013 and the repair site at the northwest corner may be fenced off, while the 8th century foundations and the courtyard paving are open to visitors. This is a working place of worship: cover shoulders and knees, and do not go in at prayer times. There is a car park outside Bab Qinnasrin, where people driving to the old city leave the car. The ground is stone and broken in places. The walk works year round, apart from summer middays.