" Aleppo is a great city of Syria,
but not of it, nor of Anatolia,
nor of Mesopotamia.
ENLARGErampart of the great citadel of aleppo. ©azar
There, the races, creeds, and tongues
of the Ottoman Empire knew one another
in a spirit of compromise.
The clash of characteristics which made its streets a kaleidoscope,
imbued the Aleppine with the lewd thoughtfulness
which corrected in him what was blatant in the Damascene.
Aleppo has shared in all the civilizations
which turned about it;
the result seemed to be a lack of zest in its peoples belief.
Even so they surpassed the rest of Syria.
They fought and traded more; were more fanatical and vicious;
and made most beautiful things...
It was typical of Aleppo,
that while Mohamaden feeling ran high,
more fellowship should rule between Christian and Mohammedan,
Armenian, Arab, Turk, Kurd and Jew,
than perhaps any great city of the Ottoman empire,
and that more friendliness,
though little license,
should have been accorded to European.
The town, save the Arab quarters,
which, like overgrown half-nomad villages
scattered over with priceless mediaeval mosques,
extended east and south of the mural crown of its great citadel."
T.E. Lawrence 1926
The Seven Pillars of Wisdom