Al-Jdeideh, Old Aleppo — the Christian Quarter of Courtyard Mansions, Churches & Cuisine

Northeast of Aleppo's old souk lies the quarter that holds the city's soul: Al-Jdeideh — the historic Christian district of yellow-stone mansions, churches, arched lanes and quiet squares. Its grandest old houses are now restaurants, boutique hotels and cafés, making Al-Jdeideh the heart of Aleppo after dark. Here's what to see, what to eat, and how to get there.

Where it is and how it grew

Al-Jdeideh ("the new quarter") grew from the 15th–16th centuries as Aleppo's Christian community settled outside the old walls, becoming a district of merchants and craftsmen. Over the centuries it filled with Aleppine courtyard mansions in yellow stone — each hidden behind a plain door around an inner courtyard with a fountain, an iwan and stone and wood carving. The architecture looks inward, away from the lane.

The courtyard houses

The traditional Aleppine house is a blank stone wall outside and another world within: a sky-open courtyard with a fountain and citrus and jasmine, an open iwan for summer, and ornate reception halls with painted woodwork (*ajami*).

The most famous include Beit Wakil (from 1603, now a hotel and restaurant), Beit Sissi and Dar Zamaria — restored mansions with long-known names. Others are masterpieces in their own right: Beit Ghazaleh and Beit Achiqbash (the Museum of Popular Traditions), 17th–18th-century palaces among the largest in Aleppo.

Churches

The quarter is the heart of Christian Aleppo, with cathedrals of several denominations side by side — the Armenian Forty Martyrs Cathedral, the Maronite St Elias Cathedral, and the Greek Catholic Our Lady Cathedral.

Al-Hatab Square

Al-Hatab Square is the quarter's beating heart — a restored stone plaza ringed by mansions, cafés and restaurants, alive in the evening. One of the loveliest corners of Aleppo for a coffee among old stone.

What to eat

Al-Jdeideh is the home of Aleppo's historic restaurants — Aleppine food in an old-house setting: Beit Wakil, Beit Sissi, Kan Zaman. Try the city's signatures — cherry kebab (kebab karaz), the many kinds of kibbeh, muhammara, and Aleppo-pepper grills. See the Syrian food guide.

Honestly — after the war

Al-Jdeideh was damaged during the war (especially around 2015); restoration began in 2017, and the February 2023 earthquakes also affected the area. But life has returned — squares, houses and restaurants have reopened. We confirm what's open before we take you.

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Read more: Aleppo travel guide · the Great Mosque of Aleppo · Aleppo's covered souk · Syrian food

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In Arabic: حي الجديدة في حلب

Wherever your road leads, we'll get you there.

Sources: Al-Jdayde — Wikipedia · Beit Ghazaleh — Wikipedia