| has gloss | eng: Bab al-Maqam is one of the Gates of Aleppo. It was built by al-Aziz Muhammad in 1230 on the road that connected the Maqamat with the Citadel. It is unique in its planning and form. The designs innovative quality implies a monumental, ceremonial function rather than a military one. Yasser Tabbaa presents an argument that supports this hypotheses. He explains how this gate differs from nearly all other medieval Syrian gates in three very important respects: it has no defense towers; it has a straight instead of a bent axis; and it has three openings instead of one. Most of the gates built after this one were developed for defense reasons; one opening to control access, bent axes to prevent direct passage and two massive defense towers. Bab al-Maqam is the only tripartite gate built in the Ayyubid period. |
