Damage assessment

[Picture source: © Catherine Ward]

State of the built heritage (September 2017)

The Great Mosque of Aleppo has moderate damage, except for the complete destruction of the minaret in April 2013. The degree of damage is around 30%. The western wing shows two large circular holes in the roof. There are currently no photographs available which clarify the extent of the interior damage. Several fires have affected parts of the main prayer hall causing damage especially to the southern gate and the wooden doors of the northern facade. The northern arcade was burned and its main gate partially damaged. The eastern part of the courtyard floor is torn out.

In September 2013, The Syrian Association for Preservation of Archaeology and Heritage disassembled and transferred the pulpit of the mosque (minbar) to, as it stated, a “safe place”. The association also covered the shrine of the Prophet Zechariah, the main niche, and the orator’s door in the prayer hall by building cement block walls. It also covered the sundial in the courtyard. In September 2017, the mosque was closed to visitors. No information has been published regarding the rebuilding process.

Figure 12. Great Mosque, plan of the building parts [Picture source: Damage Assessment Project after Attilio Petruccioli, Giulia Annalinda Neglia – PoliBA/Ernst Herzfeld, 2011 © Syrian Heritage Archive Project 2017]

Timeline

2012, October
The Great Mosque suffers some damage as clashes between the armed groups of the Free Syrian Army and the Syrian Armed Forces begin.

2013, April
Reports from local activists and international media (BBC, The Guardian, The New York Times) state that the minaret of the Great Mosque has been reduced to rubble.

2013, September
The Syrian Association for Preservation of Archaeology and Heritage performs safeguarding measures on the prayer hall and the courtyard.

2016, December
The Syrian government regains control of the Ancient City of Aleppo, including the Great Mosque.

2017, February
The western wing of the mosque is damaged in two sections.

2017, April
The Aleppo Department of the Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums (DGAM) strengthens a damaged pillar in the western part of the prayer hall. In addition, the northern gate of the mosque is strengthened. A photo shows also that rubble stones of the minaret are partly numbered.

2017, September
The Great Mosque is closed to visitors.

2017, November
A tower crane is installed next to the destroyed minaret of the mosque. Activists assume that this is undertaken for rubble management as part of the rebuilding process of the minaret.

Figure 13. Great Mosque, damage mapping [Picture source: Damage Assessment Project after Attilio Petruccioli, Giulia Annalinda Neglia – PoliBA/Ernst Herzfeld, 2011 © Syrian Heritage Archive Project 2017]

Conclusion

The general classification of the building complex of the Great Mosque of Aleppo is Recommendation Class 3 (RC3): “Major repairs based on the diagnosis”. However, the destroyed minaret is in the process of “Decision on a later reconstruction” because of its outstanding importance.