Northwestern Syria is the region around Aleppo, Syria. Home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site the Dead Cities and countless archaeological remains, it is as of 2023 contested by both the Syrian government, Turkish-backed rebels and Kurdish rebels. Travel in this region is both difficult and dangerous.
The vast majority of the population in the Afrin Canton District, the northwestern corner of this region, are Kurdish. Kurdish is commonly spoken there, and the culture is much like that of Iraqi Kurdistan.
The international airport in Aleppo is functioning but services are very limited. There are domestic flights from the capital Damascus a few times per week and even sparser international flights from a few cities in the Middle East.
Travelling by car, taxi or bus is possible from Damascus along highway M5.
The people of Aleppo are famed for their love of food and visitors will find a great variety of excellent Syrian dishes for a very reasonable price.
One dish which is particular to Aleppo is muhammara, a delicious, tangy, spicy red paste of olives and roasted peppers which is eaten warm with warm flatbread.
For excellent fresh, flame-cooked lamb kebabs, try the kebab cart near the clocktower.
Alcohol is available only in the Christian quarter of the city where you will find beers and wines (mainly from Lebanon) and imported spirits. The drinking culture in the Christian Quarter tends to be quite mediterranean, with drinkers sharing a bottle of wine at a table with or after food.
There is an excellent fresh juice stall near the clock tower
See Syria article for information on the security situation.