Madrasa al-Halawiyya
المدرسة الحلوية
Madrasa opposite Aleppo's Great Mosque, built on the site of a Byzantine cathedral whose columns and carved capitals still stand.
Facing the western gate of Aleppo's Great Mosque, Madrasa al-Halawiyya condenses the city's history. It was originally Aleppo's Byzantine cathedral, known as St Helena's, traditionally attributed to Helena, mother of Constantine.
In the early 12th century, during the Crusader siege of Aleppo, the qadi Ibn al-Khashshab converted it into a mosque; Nur al-Din Zengi then made it a law school and rebuilt it as al-Halawiyya.
Its treasure is the surviving Byzantine work inside: stone columns with finely carved acanthus capitals in a semicircular arcade from the original church, among the best Byzantine carving in Syria, alongside the Islamic iwan, courtyard, student rooms and a famed carved wooden mihrab. Part of the Ancient City of Aleppo World Heritage property.
Note: photos may not reflect the site's current condition.
For the visitor
Location: 36.1995, 37.1559 · Open on the map
Photos
Photos: Frank Kidner — via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)
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