Al-Jdayde is a historic predominantly Christian neighbourhood of Aleppo. It is noted for its winding narrow alleys, richly decorated mansions and churches. It was an area of significant cultural and historical interest. Much of Al-Jdayde suffered catastrophic damage during the Syrian civil war.
History
At the end of the Mamluk period, al-Jdayde was a small suburb benefiting from a few shops located outside of city's northern walls and near the cemeteries and storage areas. The development of the city along the roads connecting the Bab al-Nasr gate with neighbouring villages to the North and northeast progressively integrated Jdayde into the city of Aleppo. By the late 14th century, these quarters were equipped with khutba mosques and fountains made possible by a network of water works. A new water duct, opened in 1490–91, facilitated the further extension of the Jdayde neighbourhood and the creation of its hammams. Christian cemeteries and probably also the remains of ancient churches of the Byzantine period are to be found in the West side of the al-Jdayde suburb. The earlier settlement of Salibeh in this ancient Christian sector, followed by the development of Jdayde, reflects the growth of the Christian population and its desire to reside together in specific areas. Most churches, newly built or enlarged, are found around Farhat Square next to the Salibeh intersection, notably, the ArmenianHoly Forty Martyrs Church which was enlarged in 1490, the Greek Orthodox, the Maronite and the Syriac churches. The neighbourhood was gradually settled by notables as well as less affluent residents.
Character
The Armenians, who specialized in trade with Persia and India, were the predominant inhabitants of Jdeideh. During the 16th and 17th centuries, following the Ottoman conquest, the neighbourhood was subdivided into rectangular land parcels. Two large Muslim waqfs, founded in 1583-90 and in 1653, have been in the heart of the area for centuries. These two architectural ensembles, with richly decorated facades and regular layout, hosted the majority of the commercial and social services for the neighbourhood, where Muslim and Christian, rich and poor, lived side by side. They included a fountain in front of the Christian quarter, a café, a large hammam, a small mosque and a school for Muslim pupils, a cloth market, four large textile workshops, a vast cereal warehouse, and various souks for food and local services. Here numbers of locals and dragomen would, with the encouragement of various sultans, assist foreign merchants conduct their trade in Aleppo.
Revitalisation
In 1990–2000, al-Jdayde—noted for its winding narrow alleys, richly decorated mansions and churches—became an area of significant cultural, historical and tourist interest for national and international visitors. An ever-present scent of flowers, especially Jasmin, was said to permeate the area. Many of the neighbourhood's historic palaces were revitalised as museums, boutique hotels and restaurants. Some of the most important historic buildings of the al-Jdayde quarter include: Beit Wakil, Beit Ghazaleh, Dar Zamaria, Beit Achiqbash, Beit Sader, Beit Sissi, Dar Basile and Beit Dallal. Jdayde's two squares, Sahat Farhat and Sahat Al Hatab were also renovated during this period.
Recent Developments
Much of al-Jdayde suffered catastrophic damage during the Syrian civil war which began in Aleppo in 2012. The area found itself on the front line of a four-year war of attrition between combatant forces. In particular, a series of huge underground explosions conducted by the armed opposition under Sahat Al Hatab in April 2015 devastated the neighbourhood. A number of monuments, museums, churches including Beit Ghazaleh, Beit Achiqbash and the Waqf of Ibshir Mustafa Pasha, were heavily damaged by fighting. A collaborative high precision survey of various monuments in the zone were completed in November 2017 by the DGAM and UNESCO to facilitate their protection and emergency consolidation. The process of the rehabilitation of Sahat al Hatab, which began with back-filling of craters in 2017, continued with rubble clearance in 2018.
