Citadel of Aleppo, Syria: history of the fortress

Aleppo remains one of the most ancient cities of mankind. People settled here for several thousand years before our era. All this time the city was considered an important point for a variety of peoples and rulers.

Ancient city

Archaeological excavations confirm that Aleppo arose long before the appearance of writing. This means that the exact date of its foundation is difficult to calculate. There are many archaeological cultural layers in the city that have not been studied so far. This is also hampered by the fighting in Aleppo, which has been going on for several years because of the civil war in Syria.

Mention of the fortress appears in the Hittite sources, which refer to the third millennium BC. At various times Aleppo was the capital of several ancient principalities. It becomes a rich city in the Babylonian era, when neighboring Mesopotamia has become the center of human culture and science. Also in ancient times the city was claimed by the Egyptians and the Hittites.

Antiquity

In 333 BC, the great commander Alexander of Macedon captured the citadel of Aleppo. Syria was an important region for him. From here the roads to the east ran. It was through these lands that Alexander went to war against Persia, and then reached the borders of India.

From this time on, Aleppo gradually Hellenized, that is, it was influenced by ancient Greek culture. Foreign scientists came here, philosophical schools opened. After the Greeks came the Romans, who ruled here for several centuries.

Byzantium and Muslims

At the beginning of our era, Syria became an important center for the spread of Christianity, which could not but affect the confessional composition of the population of Aleppo. After the collapse of the Empire, the authorities of Byzantium were not recognized for a long time, which stimulated the construction of churches and monasteries.

The population of the city has increased noticeably. New walls were built, which surrounded the citadel of Aleppo. Syria was one of the richest Byzantine provinces, and all thanks to the fact that it was on the Great Silk Road. Aleppo was an important transit point for merchants from the East. They carried not only silk, but also porcelain, as well as other goods rare for Europeans.

In the VII century, the Arab threat posed a place. The Muslims seized the city of Aleppo, Syria completely passed under their domination. For several centuries the fortress prospered thanks to the proximity of Damascus, which for some time was the capital of the caliphs. In the 10th century it was occupied for 14 years by the Byzantines, who caused considerable damage to the city.

Crusades

In 1096, Pope Urban II appealed to Western European rulers to help the Eastern Christians in their struggle against Muslims. At this time, the Byzantine emperor continued to surrender his provinces to aggressive Seljuk Turks.

The call was heard. Thousands of knights, soldiers, and simple peasants flocked from Europe in search of adventure and glory. The main goal of the Crusaders was Jerusalem, which was a sacred city for all Christians. The citadel of Aleppo (Syria was nearby) also found themselves on their way. Despite the siege, the city was never taken. Nevertheless, a year later the Crusaders seized Jerusalem. In the Middle East, several Christian states appeared that constantly threatened Muslim Syria. The second attempt of the Crusaders to take possession of the fortress took place in 1124. It also proved to be a failure.

Earthquake

In 1138, the old city of Aleppo was virtually destroyed during the terrible earthquake. Of course, there are no exact data on the number of victims. However, even according to the most approximate estimates (more than 220 thousand dead), this earthquake was the fifth most victims in all human history.

The blows were felt not only in Syria, but also in the territory of modern Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkey. Aleppo is on a geological fault, of which the Dead Sea is also a part. It is because of this that the fortress suffered the most. The city was depopulated in one day. Soon the inhabitants returned, but the settlement for several centuries could not grow to its former size. Only in the XIX century the number of inhabitants of Aleppo became the same as on the eve of the medieval earthquake. However, even in relatively modern times, cholera and plague epidemics have erupted here.

War of the Arabs and the Mongols

In 1183 the citadel of Aleppo (Syria) passed to the famous Saladin, who managed to expel the crusaders from Jerusalem and restore Arab rule in the region.

However, it lasted for a relatively short time. In the 13th century Mongol hordes came here. The army under the command of Hulagu took the city in 1260. The walls of the fortress collapsed after six days of intense shelling from the catapults. The Citadel lasted about a month.

Subsequently, for several decades, the Arabs fought against the Mongols, trying to challenge the supremacy in Syria. The first led by the dynasty Mamlyukov. The tragedy for the city was his surrender to Tamerlane in 1400. Virtually all civilians were cut out. As a sign of intimidation, a tower of skulls was erected near the city.

Turkish rule

In the XV century, the situation in Aleppo changed: the Turks were able to capture this city. They remained rulers of Syria for several centuries. The Ottoman Empire stretches across three continents. The Arabs were under the rule of a more powerful people.

After the First World War, the Ottoman Empire disintegrated, and in Syria, the British mandate was briefly established. After him, an Arab state was formed, which still exists.

Civil war in Syria

In 2011, a civil war broke out in Syria. The Arab majority was dissatisfied with the power, which had a few Alawites led by Bashar Assad. Aleppo was one of the largest cities in the country, and because of this around him fierce fighting broke out, which continues today. In the summer of 2012, battles between government troops on the one side and insurgents on the other began in its wake.

The fighting in Aleppo turned out to be in the center of attention of the whole world when a poison gas sarin was applied in the vicinity of the city. Its use is prohibited by international conventions. These weapons of mass destruction caused the death of civilians. At the same time, from the regular shelling from different sides in Aleppo almost no remains of whole buildings. Periodically residential areas completely remain without electricity due to missile strikes. The population of the city has decreased from 2.5 million to 1 million people. Numerous refugees fled the country, which provoked a crisis in Europe, where disputes arose as to whether or not to close the borders.

Syria (Aleppo today remains a hot spot) continues to fall into the tape of world news agencies as the place of a long, bloody civil war. It began in the Arab Spring, when in 2011, in numerous countries in the Middle East and the Maghreb, dissatisfied citizens demanded the resignation of their governments.