Let’s be honest: talking now about a vibrant nightlife in Aleppo won’t be very appropriate. The city is progressively trying to rebuild itself and moving away from the past dark years. However, Aleppo has always been a lively city and Aleppans huge music fans. The city is the craddle of Muwashshah, a classical form of Arabic poetry set to music.
Alep can be split between “Shahba al Jdideh” (New Aleppo) and “Shahba al Adimeh” (Old Aleppo), and the separation is made by the Mogambo district, an area with notorious cafes and shisha places. Despite being a cosmopolitan city, Aleppo remains to some extent conservative and alcohol can be found in specific places as hotels or clubs.
BARON
Le Baron is not just a charmful boutique hotel but also a real landmark of Aleppo. Opened in 1911 by Armenian brothers, the hotel set up at that time new standards in luxury hospitality in the Middle east. The vintage interior and its bar welcomed international figures from Lawrence of Arabia, Agatha Christies, Winston Churchill, Charles de Gaulle as Gamal AbdelNasser. The owners have kept record of which famous guests stayed in each room with pictures hung inside. Closed in 2012, the hotel is not functional as now.
Adress: Baron Street
CLUBS (WHITE AND MALIKA)
Before the war,the club scene was blossoming mainly during summer with famous rooftops as the White or the Malika where Aleppan youth would meet up on week-ends . One of the highlight of Aleppo nightlife was when French Dj Bob Sinclar performed in Al Jalaa sport club.
