Before & After: Aleppo, A Historic City In Ruins

The Umayyad mosque in the Old City of Aleppo. The historic district, built in the 12th to 16th centuries, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986.

Mosques and other buildings around Aleppo's historic citadel have been reduced to rubble.

The clock tower of Bab al-Faraj Square is still standing, though piles of rubble show nearby damage. 

The formerly bustling Saadallah al-Jabiri Square

Saint Elias Church

The Carlton Citadel Hotel was destroyed in a bomb blast in 2014.

The view along a street leading up to Aleppo's 13th century citadel

Before the outbreak of the Syrian war, Aleppo was a historic metropolis, declared an "Islamic Capital of Culture" in 2006. Now, air strikes by Russian and Syrian forces are continuing to ravage the city, while fighting between rebel forces and government troops takes a heavy toll. Images from before and during the war show some of the cultural heritage Aleppo has lost.