Traditions of Aleppo
A northern Syrian city of citadel and covered souks, known for pistachios, spices, soap and some of the finest cooking in the region.
Aleppo is one of the oldest inhabited cities on earth, a crossroads on the Silk Road. Its covered souks stretch for kilometres, and its citadel is built on a high mound. The city's cooking is considered among the richest in the Arab world, and its soap and music, the qudud halabiya, are renowned.
Music and soap
The muwashshah and qudud halabiya, sung with a tight ensemble of oud, qanun and violin, are the classical music of Aleppo, and the city's singers are known as sheikhs of the art. Aleppo laurel soap, made from olive and laurel oil and aged for months, is one of the oldest soaps in the world.
At the table
Kibbeh comes in dozens of varieties, such as kibbeh with sour cherries or with yoghurt. Muhammara, a red pepper and walnut dip, and Aleppo pepper are renowned. Pistachio sweets are a pride. At weddings, families serve a lamb dish with rice and nuts.
Signature traditions of Aleppo
Also part of it, and being written: Muhammara (The red pepper and walnut dip.), Kibbeh (The meat and bulgur dish.).
A trail idea for Aleppo
- Citadel of Aleppo Climb the stone ramp to the gate.
- Al-Madina Souq Walk the covered market.
- Khan al-Wazir A caravanserai of the old city.
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Opening hours, markets and festival dates change; check locally before travelling. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
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Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Aleppo soap: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Qudud Halabiya: Thorsten Krienke, CC BY-SA 2.0, source