Citadel of AleppoAleppo, Syria العربية

The climb

The Citadel is not walked into. It is climbed — and this page tells you exactly what that means before you start.

Provisional information. The highlighted values are placeholders awaiting the site survey and confirmation by the Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums.

Steps to the summit
count to be measured
Elevation gain
to be measured
Average gradient
to be measured
Time to the top
to be measured
Surface
Uneven dressed stone, polished smooth in places by eight centuries of feet
Step-free access
where step-free access ends — to be confirmed on site

What the climb is actually like

You cross the moat on a bridge that rises the whole way, then enter a vaulted passage that turns back on itself five or six times before it releases you onto the summit. It is continuous, it is steep, and there is no shortcut — the design exists precisely to make this hard.

The stone of the bridge and the glacis is slippery when wet and polished in places even when dry. Wear shoes with a grip. Open-toed shoes and smooth soles are a genuinely bad idea here, not a formality.

Shade, water and rest

Shaded rest points
locations to be mapped
Drinking water
locations to be confirmed
Toilets
locations to be confirmed
Seating
locations to be mapped
First aid
location to be confirmed

In summer, come early or late. The mound is stone, it holds heat, and there is very little shade on the way up.

Security and entry

Checkpoint
location and procedure — to be confirmed
Identification
whether ID is required — to be confirmed
Bag size limit
to be confirmed
Prohibited items
to be confirmed
Drones and tripods
permit rules — to be confirmed

Areas that are closed

Unrestored and unsafe areas will be listed and shown on the map here. Do not cross a barrier: parts of this site are still being stabilised.

Today

Live status — path open or closed, heat advisory, checkpoint delays — will appear here.