Aleppo

Aleppo or Ḩalab (ancient Beroea), city in northern Syria, capital of Aleppo Governorate. It lies on a plateau 427 m (1,400 ft) high, midway between the Mediterranean Sea and the Euphrates River. The second largest city in Syria, Aleppo is an agricultural trading centre and has factories producing carpets; silk, cotton, and wool textiles; silver and gold artefacts; leather goods; and embroidery. The city is connected by rail to Damascus and Beirut (in Lebanon), and by caravan route to Iraq, the Kurdish Cultural Region, and Turkish Armenia.

Aleppo consists of an old and a new town; the former is enclosed by a medieval wall. Among the most important buildings are the modern citadel, surrounded by a moat and standing on a hill 61 m (200 ft) high, and the Mosque of Zacharias, said to contain the tomb of John the Baptist's father. Also in Aleppo are a number of European schools, Christian churches, and missions. The University of Aleppo was founded in 1960. In the 3rd century ad, Aleppo became the most important centre of trade between Europe and the Orient. The history of the city, which was a Hittite settlement before 1000 bc, parallels that of Syria. The old part of Aleppo was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. Population 1,582,930 (1994).