[4][5] Al-Hatab Square became the centre of this newly established quarter and was surrounded by many churches, hammams, khans, caravanserais and caeserias.

[18][24] The square became a popular destination, especially for visitors passing through the narrow alleyways of Aleppo's Old City[25]—it was home to many shops of antiques and handmade jewellery.

[10][28] Sahat Al Hatab suffered catastrophic damage during the Syrian civil war that began in Aleppo in July 2012.

[29][30] A series of huge underground explosions conducted by the armed opposition under the square in April 2015 devastated it along with the surrounding historic buildings.

[31][32][33] Al Hatab Square, and its al-Jdayde (Jdeideh) Quarter, found itself on the front line from the beginning in what became a war of attrition between combatant forces.

[36][37] Official damage assessments conducted after the evacuation of rebel forces determined Sahat al Hatab to have been "highly affected" by civil war fighting.