Syria — books & literature

The story of Syria

Syria's story begins in some of the world's oldest urban centres: Damascus is widely considered one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on Earth, settled by around 3000 BCE, while the nearby Bronze Age city-state of Ebla held one of the earliest known archives of written records. Successive empires , Akkadian, Assyrian, Persian, Greek, and Roman , ruled the region before Damascus became the glittering capital of the Umayyad Caliphate in 661 CE, briefly the centre of the entire Islamic world. Centuries of Abbasid, Crusader, Mamluk, and Ottoman rule followed, the last lasting four hundred years until World War I. After a short-lived Arab kingdom, France administered Syria as a League of Nations mandate from 1920, and Syria won full independence on 17 April 1946. Decades of political instability gave way to Ba'ath Party rule from 1963 and the Assad family's grip on power from 1970. A 2011 uprising against Bashar al-Assad escalated into a devastating civil war that displaced millions of Syrians at home and abroad. The Assad regime finally fell in December 2024, and Syria entered a fragile transitional period under a new government, working to rebuild a nation whose ancient cities, literature, and crafts remain a source of deep pride.

Timeline — key moments

1. circa 3000 BCE

   Damascus is settled, becoming one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.

2. circa 2300 BCE

   The city-state of Ebla flourishes, leaving one of the earliest known cuneiform archives.

3. 64 BCE

   Syria becomes a province of the Roman Empire.

4. 661

   Damascus becomes capital of the Umayyad Caliphate, then the centre of the Islamic world.

5. 1516

   The Ottoman Empire conquers Syria, beginning four centuries of Ottoman rule.

6. 1920

   France begins administering Syria under a League of Nations mandate.

7. 1946

   Full independence from France as the Syrian Arab Republic (17 April).

8. 1963

   The Ba'ath Party seizes power in a coup.

9. 1970

   Hafez al-Assad takes power in the 'Corrective Movement,' beginning decades of Assad family rule.

10. 2011-2024

    Uprising against Bashar al-Assad escalates into civil war; the Assad regime falls on 8 December 2024 and a transitional government forms.

Top 10 things to know about Syria

1. Damascus is widely regarded as one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on Earth.
2. Syria was the centre of the Umayyad Caliphate, one of history's largest empires, from 661 CE.
3. The ancient city-state of Ebla held one of the earliest known archives of written records.
4. The Umayyad Mosque in Damascus is one of the oldest and largest mosques in the world.
5. Damask fabric and Damascus steel take their names from the city of Damascus.
6. Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage desert city, was once ruled by the warrior Queen Zenobia.
7. Arabic is the official language, and Syrian cuisine (kibbeh, hummus, Aleppo-style dishes) is renowned across the region.
8. The 2011-2024 conflict caused one of the largest displacement crises since World War II.
9. The Assad regime fell in December 2024 after more than five decades of family rule.
10. Syria's ancient sites , Palmyra, Aleppo's Old City, Krak des Chevaliers , are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Famous people from Syria

Say it in Syria's language

Did you know?

• ★Damascus has been continuously inhabited for roughly 5,000 years, making it one of the oldest living cities on Earth.
• ★The Ebla tablets, dating back over 4,000 years, are among the earliest large archives of written language ever found.
• ★The English words "damask" and "damascene" both derive from the city of Damascus, famed for its textiles and metalwork.

Syria culture

• Traditional Damascene houses are built around hidden courtyards with fountains and citrus trees.
• The Umayyad Mosque in Damascus is one of the holiest sites in Islam and a landmark of early Islamic architecture.
• Syrian cuisine is renowned for kibbeh, hummus, and Aleppo-style dishes, alongside sweets like baklava and ma'amoul.
• Arabic calligraphy and traditional crafts such as inlaid woodwork and soap-making (especially from Aleppo) remain living traditions.

Why read Syria's books

Syria's literary tradition stretches from the world's earliest known writing, unearthed on tablets at Ebla and nearby Ugarit, to some of modern Arabic poetry's most influential voices. Its books carry the memory of ancient empires, a devastating war, and a people now rebuilding.