Syria: Musicians of Aleppo (Haleb), late 18th century

Aleppo is considered one of the main centres of Arabic traditional and classic music with the famous Aleppine Muwashshahs, Qudoods and Maqams (religious and secular poetic-musical genres). Aleppines in general are fond of Arab classical music, the Tarab, and it is not a surprise that many artists from Aleppo are considered pioneers among the Arabs in classic and traditional music. The most prominent figures in this field are Sabri Mdallal, Sabah Fakhri, Shadi Jameel, Abed Azrie and Nour Mhanna. Many iconic artists of Arab music like Sayed Darwish and Mohammed Abdel Wahab visited Aleppo to recognize the legacy of Aleppine art and learn from its cultural heritage.

Aleppo is also known for its knowledgeable and cultivated listeners, known as sammi'a or 'connoisseur listeners'. Aleppine musicians often claim that no major Arab artist achieved fame without first earning the approval of the Aleppine sammi'a.

Aleppo hosts many music shows and festivals every year at the citadel amphitheatre, such as the 'Syrian Song Festival', the 'Silk Road Festival' and 'Khan al-Harir Festival'.

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