Portal:Syria

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The Syria Portal

Flag of Syria	Emblem of Syria

Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north and northwest, Iraq to the east and southeast, Jordan to the south, and Israel and Lebanon to the southwest. It is a republic under a provisional government and comprises 14 governorates. Damascus is the capital and largest city. With a population of 26 million across an area of 185,180 square kilometres (71,500 sq mi), it is the 56th-most populous and 87th-largest country.

Following the Arab Spring in 2011, Syria became embroiled in a multi-sided civil war with the involvement of several countries, leading to a refugee crisis in which more than 6 million refugees were displaced from the country. In response to rapid territorial gains made by the Islamic State during the civil war in 2014 and 2015, several countries intervened on behalf of various factions opposing it, leading to its territorial defeat in 2017 in both central and eastern Syria. Thereafter, three political entities—the Syrian Interim Government, Syrian Salvation Government, and the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria—emerged in Syrian territory to challenge Assad's rule. In late 2024, a series of offensives from a coalition of opposition forces led to the capture of Damascus and the fall of Assad's regime. By 2025, the war had left Syria's economy in a poor state, following years of international sanctions that were later eased. In March 2025, the Syrian transitional government replaced the Syrian caretaker government under new Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa. (Full article...)

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Map of offensives in Syria

Controlled by Ba'athist Syria

Controlled by the Syrian opposition

Controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces

Controlled by the Israel Defense Forces

On 27 November 2024, a coalition of Syrian revolutionary factions called the Military Operations Command, led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and supported by allied Turkish-backed groups in the Syrian National Army (SNA), launched an offensive against the Ba'athist regime's armed forces in Idlib, Aleppo and Hama Governorates in Syria. It initially began as a localised offensive targeting towns in the Idlib and Aleppo countryside, later evolving into a nationwide campaign that culminated in the regime's collapse.

On 29 November 2024, HTS entered Aleppo and captured most of the city, amid the collapse of pro-government forces. The next day, opposition forces made rapid advances, capturing dozens of towns and villages as pro-government forces disintegrated, and advanced toward Hama in central Syria, subsequently capturing it on 5 December. By 6 December, the SDF captured Deir ez-Zor in an offensive east of the Euphrates, while the newly formed Southern Operations Room and Al-Jabal Brigade captured Daraa and Suwayda in an offensive in the south. The HTS advanced further south toward Homs. The American-backed Syrian Free Army (SFA) launched the Palmyra offensive in the south of the country. (Full article...)

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Krak des Chevaliers

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Did you know...

… that Syria is one of the world's oldest civilizations, dating from the Palaeolithic era (c. 800,000 BCE)
… that Syria was part of the Ottoman Empire for approximately 400 years.
… that Syria's name comes from an ancient kingdom called Assyria.
… that the Syrian cities of Damascus and Aleppo are some of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.
… that the 2024 Syrian opposition offensives led to the fall of the Assad regime after more than two decades in power?

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Haidar Haidar (Arabic: حيدر حيدر; 1936 – 5 May 2023) was a Syrian writer and novelist. He acquired a wide reputation for his critical attitude towards political and religious institutions and his willingness to cover controversial topics in a rational way. He published seventeen books of fiction, short stories, essays and biography, including The Desolate Time (Az-Zaman al-Muhish), which was chosen by the Arab Writers Union as one of the best 105 books of the 20th century. (Full article...)

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General images

The following are images from various Syria-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Citadel of Aleppo (from History of Syria)
Image 2Azm Palace, 18th century residence of Ottoman governor of Damascus (from Culture of Syria)
Image 3Al-Fayhaa Sports Complex (from Culture of Syria)
Image 4Syrian tank during October war, 1973 (from History of Syria)
Image 5Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (left) with European Council President António Costa at the Arab League summit on Gaza, in Cairo, 3 March 2025 (from History of Syria)
Image 6Opposition demonstration in Baniyas, 29 April 2011 (from History of Syria)
Image 7Coin of Bambyce, c. 340–332 BC (from History of Syria)
Image 8Stuck and abandoned tank of the Assad's forces on the road to Damascus, December. (from History of Syria)
Image 9Syrian government forces tank. (from History of Syria)
Image 10The ancient city of Ugarit (from History of Syria)
Image 11Azm Palace, 18th century residence of Ottoman governor of Damascus (from Culture of Syria)
Image 12The Roman Theatre at Bosra, one of Syria's best preserved monuments from Roman times. Syria's long and rich history plays a huge part in its culture. (from Culture of Syria)
Image 13From 1831 until 1841, Syria was governed by Egypt under Muhammad Ali (from History of Syria)
Image 14Russian planes bombing positions of the Assad's enemies. (from History of Syria)
Image 15Syrian opposition offensives that overthrew Assad's regime in 11 days (from History of Syria)
Image 16Syrian artillery crew during Yom Kippur War against Israel (from History of Syria)
Image 17Children killed by the Assad regime in the Ghouta chemical attack, the deadliest chemical weapons attack in the 21st century (from History of Syria)
Image 18President Adib Shishakli (from History of Syria)
Image 19Killing of Rafic Hariri triggered a massive Intifada against Syrian occupation of Lebanon in 2005, which led to the withdrawal of Syrian military forces after global backlash (from History of Syria)
Image 20Map marking boundary between British and French territory (from History of Syria)
Image 21Alleged Syrian nuclear reactor site destroyed in air strikes by Israeli Air Force during Operation Outside the Box. (Photo from video released by the US government) (from History of Syria)
Image 22The world's first alphabet from the ancient city-state of Ugarit, northern Syria. 15th century BCE. (from History of Syria)
Image 23Israeli tanks advancing on Golan Heights during the 1967 Six-Day War. Then Defence Minister Hafez al-Assad was widely blamed for the failure of Syrian military, intensifying his rivalry with Jadid (from History of Syria)
Image 24Palmyra, one of Roman Syria's most prospering cities (from History of Syria)
Image 25Ottoman-Syrian dress in the 19th century. (from History of Syria)
Image 26Maktab Anbar in the Ancient City of Damascus (from Culture of Syria)
Image 27Parts of Syria and neighbouring countries formed a part of the Roman Empire (from History of Syria)
Image 28Fattoush, an example of Syrian cuisine (from Culture of Syria)
Image 29Empress Julia Domna (from History of Syria)
Image 30The inauguration of President Hashim al-Atassi in 1936 (from History of Syria)
Image 31Nizar Qabbani's style explored themes of love, eroticism, religion, and Arab nationalism. (from Culture of Syria)
Image 32The Church of Saint Simeon Stylites near Aleppo (from History of Syria)
Image 33The States of the French Mandate (from History of Syria)
Image 34Former flag of Syria (1932–58), now used by the Syrian opposition and Free Syrian militias (from History of Syria)
Image 35Fattoush, an example of Syrian cuisine (from Culture of Syria)
Image 36Roman Theatre at Bosra (from History of Syria)
Image 37Al-Fayhaa Sports Complex (from Culture of Syria)
Image 38Nizar Qabbani's style explored themes of love, eroticism, religion, and Arab nationalism. (from Culture of Syria)
Image 39Maktab Anbar in the Ancient City of Damascus (from Culture of Syria)
Image 40Landscape of Syrian mountain. (from Music of Syria)
Image 41Krak des Chevaliers from the South-West (from History of Syria)
Image 42A group of Syrian musicians from Aleppo (from Music of Syria)
Image 43Kousa mahshi (from Culture of Syria)
Image 44Female figurine, Syria, 5000 BCE (from History of Syria)
Image 45The Roman Theatre at Bosra, one of Syria's best preserved monuments from Roman times. Syria's long and rich history plays a huge part in its culture. (from Culture of Syria)
Image 46Ottoman Syria, circa 1683 (See: list of territories) (from History of Syria)
Image 47Philip the Arab, Roman Emperor (from History of Syria)
Image 48The Ancient city of Apamea, Syria, one of Syria's most important commercial centres in Hellenistic times (from History of Syria)
Image 49Kousa mahshi (from Culture of Syria)
Image 50Salah Jadid (right) alongside Ba'ath party founder Michel Aflaq (left) shortly after the 1963 coup. Neo-Ba'athist Military Committee led by Jadid and Hafez al-Assad later overthrew the National Command in another coup in 1966, leading to a schism within Baathist movement (from History of Syria)
Image 51Syrian army column in Lebanon (from History of Syria)
Image 52Umayyad Mosque (from History of Syria)