Bāb Antakiya ( ar, بَاب أَنْطَاكِيَّة, Bāb ʾAnṭākīyah, Aleppo Arabic: , "Gate of

Antioch Antioch on the Orontes (; grc-gre, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου, ''Antiókheia hē epì Oróntou'', Learned ; also Syrian Antioch) grc-koi, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου; or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπ� ...

") is a critical defense gate in Aleppo, and protects the city from the west. Bab Antakiya is located in the centre of the western wall of the old city of Aleppo, and its name was derived from

, the capital of ancient Syria, as the gate was the main exit which was leading to the city of Antioch.

History

This gate was considered the main ''bab'' of the city during the

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

rule, but it lost its importance gradually during the Islamic and Arab rule, until the reconstruction by the Ayyubid

Emir of Aleppo The rulers of Aleppo ruled as kings, emirs and sultans of the city and its surrounding region since the later half of the 3rd millennium BC, starting with the kings of Armi, followed by the Amorite dynasty of Yamhad. Muslim rule of the city end ...

An-Nasir Yusuf (ruled 1242-60) on an 11th-century base. It was further rebuilt in the 15th century in

Mamluk Mamluk ( ar, مملوك, mamlūk (singular), , ''mamālīk'' (plural), translated as "one who is owned", meaning " slave", also transliterated as ''Mameluke'', ''mamluq'', ''mamluke'', ''mameluk'', ''mameluke'', ''mamaluke'', or ''marmeluke'') ...

era when the gate regained its vital role as a main landmark for the old city. During the Battle of Aleppo in the Syrian civil war the gate became a key target for rebel forces who tried to take the old Citadel.

Construction

The gate is topped by two rising parallel hexagonal bastions with a jagged entrance path, being located under the one which is on the right side due to defensive tactics, consisted of white stones of big sizes ( X (. The main axis of the old Souq of Aleppo is originated from the Antakeya gate.

References

{{coord, 36, 11, 55.25, N, 37, 9, 5.25, E, type:landmark, display=title Ziyarat Antakeya