Syria10 July, 20263 min read
SANA Says Terrorist Groups Blew Up Aleppo Citadel Tunnel, Collapsing 13th-Century Wall
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A tunnel explosion collapsed part of Aleppo Citadel's ramparts. Official SANA described the blast as carried out by terrorist groups.
Citadel, blast and blame
A section of the ramparts of the Aleppo citadel collapsed after the explosion of a tunnel in the old city of Aleppo, a World Heritage site, reported on Sunday by official media and an NGO. According to the official agency SANA, terrorist groups blew up a tunnel in the old city of Aleppo during the night, causing the collapse of part of the citadel's wall dating back to the 13th century.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said the tunnel was dug by the rebels but that it was the regime that blew it up to prevent the insurgents from reaching an army position, and SOHR director Rami Abdel Rahmane told AFP that violent fighting subsequently erupted between regime forces and rebel groups in this area. Since 2012, Aleppo's historic center has been divided between rebels and loyalists, with regime forces positioned in part of the historic center and inside the citadel, a strategic location because it overlooks the rest of the city.
Restoration and new access
After years of neglect and damage, Aleppo's historic fortress has been the focus of high-quality restoration and rehabilitation efforts aimed at restoring its status as a major tourist destination in Syria. The maintenance work covered the fortress's most prominent landmarks inside the citadel, led by Nur al-Din al-Zanki Mosque, the Royal Hammam, and the Throne Hall, and rehabilitation work extended to the electricity and water networks to improve services provided to visitors and tourists.
Aleppo Fortress Director Mohammed Noor Habagh told Syria Now that the electronic identification code system is still in the experimental stage, currently offering information in Arabic, English, and Turkish, with a future plan to adopt six languages after official approval by the Directorate of Antiquities and Museums of Aleppo. In July 2025, Aleppo Governorate launched the 'Shahba'a Again' project, which aims to comprehensively restore Aleppo Fortress and its surroundings, including rehabilitating the mosque, restoring the theater, and planting and lighting works, according to the Syrian News Agency SANA at the time.
Heritage, tourism and risk
Before the outbreak of the civil war in March 2011, Syria's real 'oil' was tourism, with about 6 million foreign tourists visiting Syria in 2009 and 8.5 million visitors the following year, while tourism sector revenues reached $8.5 billion and represented 14% of GDP. UNESCO said five of the six sites inscribed on the World Heritage List—besides the Old City of Damascus—have been hit more or less severely by air bombardments, artillery fire and vandalism, and in 2013 UNESCO listed these six sites as in danger, after the destruction of the minaret of the Umayyad Mosque and stalls in the historic souk following clashes.
The Aleppo souk story is also tied to rebuilding after violence, with Rahaf Houri, a 33-year-old shopkeeper, saying, "There is a dominant positive energy," as she returns to her stall in the al-Hibal section of the souk in restored sectors of the medina. In the context of restoration priorities, Ayman al-Nabo, director of the Idlib Antiquities Center, said, "Unfortunately, the authorities and the new administration are still in a transition phase, and heritage is not yet a priority," underscoring what remains at stake for Syria's cultural sites.