Very struck this morning by an image of a huge castle in Aleppo, the citadel, looking very much bigger than anything we have in this country. According to reference 1, the site has been in use for thousands of years, with much of the present structure dating from the 13th century, the time of the Saladin who fought with our own Lion Heart. Evidence of great wealth if nothing else; clearly rather more than the desert I tend to think of in connection with this part of the world.
Not yet been able to find out how the hill started - although I have learned that at one time the slopes between the moat and the wall were faced with limestone blocks, some of which survive. And according to Google's AI search assistant: 'The Citadel of Aleppo is built on a natural limestone outcropping that rises about 100 feet above the surrounding plain. The citadel's origins can be traced back to the Early Bronze Age, when the site was home to a temple dedicated to the storm god Hadad...'.
More striking images to be found at reference 2, but what I need now is some kind of guide book. Not AI generated. They are to be had online, but I have not yet worked out how to get at them.
References
Reference 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citadel_of_Aleppo.
Reference 2: https://www.archnet.org/sites/2812?media_content_id=91317.
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