History and Background of Aleppo Soap

Aleppo Soap originated from the Syrian city of Aleppo, one of the most oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world that has stood in its place for more than 8 thousand years, being witness to the rise and falls of many empires, expansion of the culture across the world and the bridging of the connections between east and west at the start of European renaissance. This ancient city thrived on trade for thousands of years, and was famous for being the endpoint of the famous Silk Road that bridged East and the West world before the advancement of sea trade routes in the “Age of Sail”.

One of the most important trade items of the city of Aleppo is without a doubt their unique soap that was made by the generations of merchant families and manufacturers for thousands of years. Formula and manufacturing process for this highly prized soap did not change over time and is still today preformed in its original form – olive oil, sweet bay oil and water are mixed with sodium hydroxide, heated and then left to cool. Soap is cut from the form, and then left to age in the shade for minimum of seven months, during which time soap will change its color from green to brown and beige.