Daily Times

ALEPPO: Before the war, the Citadel of Aleppo, considered to be one of Middle East’s greatest treasures, attracted scores of visitors. The citadel, which was built to protect the Old City in Aleppo, is similar to the Lahore Fort which was built to protect what is now Old Lahore.

However, for the past four years, the citadel’s high stone ramparts have been on the frontline of fighting between the Syrian army and the rebels. The rebels occupied much of the Old City surrounding the fortress.

The recent advances by the Syrian Army last week put the rebels on the back foot, which led to a ceasefire, ending the warfare in Aleppo and putting the war-torn city entirely in government hands. The ceasefire has resulted in a mass evacuation of insurgents and civilians from the city.

The fate of Aleppo, listed by the United Nations as a World Heritage Site, has been the subject of great anxiety not only for its residents, but also for archaeologists, historians and travelers, who despair for the suffering of humanity and heritage alike.

Moreover, large sections of Aleppo’s Islamic-era markets or souks as referred to in Arabic, were destroyed in clashes that occurred in 2012 and 2013. Fighting also destroyed the 11th century minaret of the Umayyad mosque. The remains of its ancient stone minaret now lay in a heap, but despite the damage, the mosque’s elegant floor and arcaded walls remain.

Even though the city was split into various sectors controlled by both government forces and rebels, the army managed to retain control of the citadel even when it was surrounded on three sides by insurgents.

A Syrian soldier, speaking from the citadel’s garrison, said, “There were around 25 of us protecting the citadel. We used to switch with armed men who were stationed in the old market through a tunnel that was dug underneath the citadel.”

One of the tactics used by rebels in the intense street fighting through the Old City’s narrow alleyways was the detonation of mines, which were dug beneath army positions in tunnels. The soldier said that explosion of these mines sent shockwaves similar to an earthquake’s.

Despite their exposed position, and with repeated attempts by rebels to capture it, soldiers valiantly defended the garrison by sniping rebels through the arrow slits in the citadel’s walls. As a result, the damage to the citadel has not been as severe as it was elsewhere in the city.

Syria’s Director General of Antiquities Mamoun Abdelkarim said, “There is some damage but it can be managed. The situation is good inside the Citadel but the disaster and the real damage was inflicted on the old market.”

Throughout history, Aleppo has been controlled by Hittites, Assyrians, Arabs, Mongols, Mamluks and Ottomans. The remnants of these conquerors are visible in the diverse architecture of the city.

The great Ayyubid leader, Salahuddin Ayubi, who stopped the onslaught of European crusaders in the 12^th century, described the city as “the eye of Syria, and the citadel its pupil”.

The citadel has witnessed its fair share of war and disaster. It was damaged by the Mongol invasion of 1260 and destroyed again by invading forces in 1400. It was used as a barrack for Ottoman troops and for French soldiers when Syria was part of the French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon. Moreover, it sustained heavy damage in the earthquake of 1822.

During the Syrian Civil War, the medieval structures which were damaged or destroyed included medieval mosques, trading houses, the Al-Shibani Church and the 13th century Nahasin bathhouse.