Al-Halawiyah Madrasa, Aleppo

Al-Halawiyah Madrasa, Aleppo (must see)

Al-Halawiyah Madrasa is a madrasah complex built in 1124 on the site of Aleppo's Great Byzantine Cathedral of Saint Helena of the 5th century, where, according to tradition, a Roman temple once stood. Saint Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, built a great Byzantine cathedral there. When the Crusaders were pillaging the surrounding countryside, the city's chief judge started to convert the cathedral into a mosque in 1123 during the reign of Balak Ibn Bahram Ibn Ourtoq. In 1149, Nur al-Din converted the building into a madrasah; an Islamic-religious school for the followers of the Hanafi madhab. Parts of the 5th century Christian construction were turned into an Islamic school. The building encompasses a small courtyard and the original chapel with its eight large corinthian columns. These columns resemble the ones at the Saint Simeon Cathedral near Aleppo. The symmetry of the space allowed a relatively easy transformation from chapel to masjid. It is also known for its fine mihrab.
Sight description based on Wikipedia.

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Al-Halawiyah Madrasa on Map

Sight Name: Al-Halawiyah Madrasa
Sight Location: Aleppo, Syria (See walking tours in Aleppo)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Aleppo, Syria

Create Your Own Walk in Aleppo

Create Your Own Walk in Aleppo

Creating your own self-guided walk in Aleppo is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Aleppo's Historical Religious Sights

Aleppo's Historical Religious Sights

The beautiful city of Aleppo in northern Syria is home to a number of great religious sights. While as you may expect, the majority of local population is Muslim, the city is also home to one of the wealthiest Christian communities in the East. As a result, there are many impressive churches as well as grand mosques to see in Aleppo on this tour.

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.4 Km or 2.1 Miles
Aleppo Introduction Walking Tour

Aleppo Introduction Walking Tour

There are plenty of amazing landmarks in this beautiful city of Northern Syria. While you may not know it, Aleppo is one of the oldest cities on Earth. Take this orientation walk to see the most popular attractions in Aleppo.

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.6 Km or 2.9 Miles