Citadel of the walled city of
Aleppo
map of old town Aleppo
view of old town Aleppo from the Citadel
entrance to the Citadel
wall figure
the tomb of St George
Saint George (?-303?), Christian martyr, born in Cappadocia in eastern Asia Minor. His life is obscured by legend, but his martyrdom at Lydda, Palestine, is generally considered a matter of historical fact. It is attested by two early Syrian church inscriptions and by a canon of Pope Gelasius I, dated 494, in which Saint George is mentioned as one whose name was held in reverence. The most popular of the legends that have grown up around him relates his encounter with the dragon, a story that may have been influenced by the Greek myth of Perseus and Andromeda. A pagan town in Libya was victimized by a dragon (representing the devil), which the inhabitants first attempted to placate by offerings of sheep and then by the sacrifice of various members of their community. The daughter of the king (representing the church) was chosen by lot and was taken out to await the coming of the monster, but George arrived, killed the dragon, and converted the community to Christianity. In 1222 the Council of Oxford ordered that the feast of Saint George, on April 23, be celebrated as a national festival, and in the 14th century he became the patron saint of England and of the Order of the Garter.
remains of the Citadel Palace
its entrance
looking back from the entrance across the Citadel
roofs of the baths
the interior
the steps to the citadel, showing the wall
the wall
