. ▁ ▁Early ▁Islam ic ▁period ▁ ▁Muslim ▁troops ▁captured ▁Ale ppo ▁in ▁ 6 3 6 ▁AD . ▁Writ ten ▁sources ▁document ▁rep airs ▁being ▁made ▁on ▁the ▁cit adel ▁after ▁a ▁major ▁earth qu ake . ▁Little ▁is ▁known ▁about ▁the ▁cit adel ▁in ▁the ▁period ▁of ▁early ▁Islam , ▁except ▁that ▁Ale ppo ▁was ▁a ▁front ier ▁town ▁on ▁the ▁edges ▁of ▁the ▁U mm ay ad ▁and ▁Abb as id ▁emp ires . ▁ ▁Say f ▁al - D aw la , ▁a ▁Ham dan id ▁prince , ▁conquer ed ▁the ▁city ▁in ▁ 9 4 4 , ▁and ▁it ▁subsequently ▁rose ▁to ▁a ▁political ▁and ▁economic ▁r ena issance . ▁The ▁Ham dan ids ▁built ▁a ▁re put edly ▁splendid ▁palace ▁on ▁the ▁banks ▁of ▁the ▁river , ▁but ▁moved ▁to ▁the ▁Cit adel ▁after ▁By z antine ▁troops ▁attacked ▁in ▁ 9 6 2 . ▁A ▁period ▁of ▁inst ability ▁followed ▁the ▁Ham dan id ▁rule , ▁marked ▁by ▁By z antine ▁and ▁B edu in ▁attacks , ▁a ▁short - term ▁rule ▁by ▁the ▁Egypt ian - based ▁F at im ids . ▁The ▁M ird as ids ▁were ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁converted ▁the ▁two ▁churches ▁into ▁mos ques . ▁ ▁Z eng id ▁and ▁A yy ub id ▁periods ▁▁ ▁The ▁cit adel ▁rose ▁to ▁the ▁peak ▁of ▁its ▁importance ▁in ▁the ▁period ▁during ▁and ▁after ▁the ▁Cr us ader ▁presence ▁in ▁the ▁Near ▁East . ▁Z eng id ▁r uler ▁Im ad ▁ad -