Sturdy walls and gates protect the ancient historic city of Aleppo in Syria.

The narrow lanes in the old town, and its many historic buildings, have retained all the character and charm of a mediaeval metropolis. The city has a flourishing economy which is mainly due to its favourable location at the junction of several important trading routes.

In 1169 the Umayyade Mosque was re-built at the command of the Zengid monarch, Nureddin, but only its impressive forty five metre high minaret has survived to the present day.

The Baits are true architectural gems of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, noble and often palatial-looking buildings that once belonged to the city’s elite classes.

Today Aleppo shines out once again in the glory of its six thousand years of history and continues to highlight its unique significance as one of the most important cities in the Orient.