Aleppo: History, Former Names & Timeline
Ancient city of northern Syria and a great market at the western end of the Silk Road, known for its citadel and covered souks.
AleppoExplore Aleppo in the interactive map
Former names of Aleppo
| From | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 BC | Halab | |
| 300 BC | Beroea | Seleucid name |
| AD 637 | Halab / Aleppo |
Timeline of Aleppo
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 300 BC | Seleucus I refounds the city as Beroea (about this date) |
| AD 637 | Arab armies take Aleppo |
| AD 944 | Sayf al-Dawla founds the Hamdanid emirate with Aleppo as capital |
| 1260 | The Mongols sack Aleppo |
| 1516 | The Ottomans take Aleppo after the Battle of Marj Dabiq |
| 1822 | A great earthquake devastates the city |
| 2016 | The Battle of Aleppo in the Syrian civil war ends |
Who ruled Aleppo
Derived from the border maps; each row runs until the next recorded border change.
| Period | State |
|---|---|
| 500 BC–324 BC | Achaemenid Empire |
| 323 BC–301 BC | Empire of Alexander |
| 300 BC–201 BC | Kingdom of Antigonus |
| 200 BC–2 BC | Seleucid Kingdom |
| 1 BC–299 | Roman Empire |
| 300–399 | Rome (Diocletianus) |
| 400–699 | Eastern Roman Empire |
| 700–799 | Umayyad Caliphate |
| 800–999 | Abbasid Caliphate |
| 1000–1299 | Byzantine Empire |
| 1300–1399 | Ilkhanate |
| 1400–1491 | Timurid Empire |
| 1492–1599 | Mamluk Sultanate |
| 1600–1919 | Ottoman Empire |
| 1920–1944 | Syria (France) |
| 1945–today | Syria |
Nearby cities
Questions about Aleppo
What was Aleppo called in the past?
Aleppo has been known as Halab (from 2000 BC); Beroea (from 300 BC, Seleucid name); Halab / Aleppo (from AD 637). Its present name dates from AD 637.
Which states have ruled Aleppo?
On the historical border maps from 500 BC to today, Aleppo lies within 16 different states: Achaemenid Empire, Empire of Alexander, Kingdom of Antigonus, Seleucid Kingdom, Roman Empire, Rome (Diocletianus), Eastern Roman Empire, Umayyad Caliphate, Abbasid Caliphate, Byzantine Empire and others.
What are the key dates in the history of Aleppo?
300 BC: Seleucus I refounds the city as Beroea (about this date). AD 637: Arab armies take Aleppo. AD 944: Sayf al-Dawla founds the Hamdanid emirate with Aleppo as capital. 1260: The Mongols sack Aleppo. 1516: The Ottomans take Aleppo after the Battle of Marj Dabiq.