The Club d'Alep is a social club of Aleppo which was founded in 1945 and located in a former residential mansion in the city's Azizieh district. The club has been celebrated internationally for the quality and authenticity of its Aleppine cuisine.
The Club d’Alep (Arabic: نادي حلب الشتوي) was founded in 1945 and has since served as a principle gathering point for the families of Aleppo's merchant class.[1][2][3]
The Club is located in a late 1800s mansion built in the local composite architectural style. The building was one of earliest structures of the then newly developing Azizieh district of Aleppo. It first served as the residence of the Ghazaleh – a prominent Christian Aleppine family.[4][5][6] It then became the location for the private club celebrated for the quality and authenticity of its cuisine, entertainment and nightlife.[7][8][9]
The Club d'Alep, with its summer and winter branches, had been noted as having around 600 members. The character of the membership of the club changed somewhat after the economic upheavals of the late 1950 and early 1960s.[10] Its reception hall was then used as a mosque during the 1970s.[11] Traditional club activities have since been revived. Additionally, the front of the property has been expanded which has damaged the property's original architectural integrity.
^The Club d'Alep's founding members in 1945 included Victor Guerelli (Président), Etienne Hindié (Vice Président), Pierre Mamarbachi (Secrétaire), Raymond Assouad (Trésorier), Yordan Obégi (Commissaire) and François Assouad, Michel Khayat, Soubhi Sbaï, Raymond Obégi, Chafik Mamarbachi and Joseph Nehmad (Conseillers).
^The Club d'Alep has been led by Victor Guerelli, Pierre Mamarbachi, Roland Antaki, Leon Asmar, Georges Chachati and Abdallah Moussalli (Présidents 1945–95).
^The Club d’Alep was originally built to be the residence for the Ghazaleh – a prominent Aleppine family of merchant bankers. The family moved here from Beit Ghazaleh in the Al-Jdayde district of Aleppo. (see David, Jean-Claude et François Cristofoli (2019) Alep, la maison Ghazalé. Histoire et devenirs. Editions Parentheses, 176 p. )
