The most interesting facts about Syria, from one of the oldest civilisations on Earth to one of the world’s most dangerous countries.
Fast facts
Official name: Syrian Arab Republic
Population: 23.86 million (2024 est.)
Area: 187,437 sq km
Capital city: Damascus
Major languages: Arabic, Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian, French, English
Major religions: Muslim 87%, Christian 10%, Druze 3%
Time zone: UTC+2 (Eastern European Time)
Interesting facts about Syria
1. Syria is a country in the Middle East bordering Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and the Mediterranean Sea.
2. Syria is home to one of the oldest civilizations in the world. Human remains have been found in the region dating back to around 700,000 years ago.
3. The name Syria comes from Assyria, an ancient kingdom in northern Mesopotamia at the center of one of the great empires of the ancient Middle East. It was located in modern-day northern Iraq and southeastern Turkey.
4. During ancient times, Syria was occupied and ruled by several empires, including the Egyptians, Hittites, Sumerians, Mitanni, Assyrians, Babylonians, Canaanites, Phoenicians, Arameans, Amorites, Persians, Greeks and Romans.
5. For over 400 years (1516-1918), Syria was part of the Ottoman Empire.
6. Syria is home to the oldest library in the world. In 1974, the ancient city of Ebla was discovered along with around 1,800 clay tablets dating from around 3,000 BC.
7. The ancient language of Aramaic is still spoken in Syria. During ancient times, Aramaic was the lingua franca across many civilizations, including Greece and Egypt. Today it is only spoken in small communities in Syria, Iran, Turkey, Iraq, Armenia, and Georgia.
8. In 2001, Pope John Paul II became the first pope to enter a mosque when he visited the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus.
9. The Umayyad Mosque (or Great Mosque of Damascus) is the earliest surviving stone mosque. Built between 705 and 715, it is often considered to be Islam’s fourth holiest place of worship.
10. Since 2011, Syria has been embroiled in a bitter civil conflict initially sparked by the Arab Spring. It has escalated into a complex war, internally displacing 7.2 million Syrians and claiming at least half a million lives.
11. Syria remains the world’s largest refugee crisis. The war forced over 14 million Syrians to leave their homes. Around 5.5 million Syrian refugees now reside in neighboring countries, including Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Türkiye.
12. Syria is among the nine most dangerous countries in the world, according to the 2024 International SOS Travel Risk Map. It has been assessed as carrying an ‘extreme travel security risk’.
13. Syria was officially under a state of emergency for 48 years. The emergency law was finally lifted in 2011 following protests after it was first introduced in 1962.
14. Since independence, Syria has struggled with stability with several conflicts with neighbouring countries. Israel continues to occupy an area of the Golan Heights following the 1967 Six-Day War.
15. Shouting Valley (or Shouting Hill) is a valley in Syria where the village of Ein al-Teinia is isolated from the town of Majdal al-Shams in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. It is known as Shouting Valley, as families used loudhailers to communicate with their estranged relatives across the land mined and fenced-off gap. Recently, mobile phones and the internet have meant they no longer need to shout but people remain separated from their families.
16. According to the UK Foreign Office, Syria is one of 24 countries deemed to be entirely unsafe for tourists to visit.
17. Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire during the First World War, Syria was governed by France until it gained independence in 1946 following the Second World War.
18. From 1958 to 1961, Syria was part of the short-lived union of Syria and Egypt known as the United Arab Republic.
19. Syria’s flag is red, white, and black horizontally striped with two green stars on the white stripe. The flag is the same as the former flag of the United Arab Republic (1958-1961) where the two stars represented the states of Syria and Egypt. The colors symbolize oppression (black), revolution (red), and a bright future (white).
20. Syrians are some of the lightest drinkers in the world. They are the ninth-lightest drinkers, with the average Syrian consuming just 0.13 liters of alcohol per year.
21. Syria’s UNESCO-listed capital, Damascus, is considered to be one of the world’s oldest continually inhabited cities. Founded around the 3rd millennium BC, Damascus is also mentioned in the Bible’s book of Genesis.
22. In total, Syria has six UNESCO sites, including the ancient cities of Aleppo, Bosra, Damascus, and Palmyra, the ancient villages of Northern Syria, and the crusader castles of Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din.
23. During the Middle Ages, Aleppo was a major trading post along the Silk Road, the ancient network of trade routes that connected China with the West.
24. Known as the ‘Venice of the sands,’ the ancient Roman city of Palmyra saw many of its statues, temples, and sites destroyed in 2015 when the militant group, Isis, seized control of the area.
25. Syria is one of the worst countries for gender equality. In the 2021 Global Gender Gap Index, it was ranked fifth worst. It is not mentioned in the 2023 report, likely due to insufficient data.
26. Since the Syrian Civil War broke out in 2011, satellite imagery in 2015-2017 has revealed that Syria has got 83% darker at night. The lack of lighting is caused by people fleeing the country, leaving behind darkened homes, and destroyed buildings and power infrastructure, which has left huge areas without electricity.
27. Syria is part of an area known as the Fertile Crescent, also known as the “Cradle of Civilization”. The Fertile Crescent covers a roughly crescent-shaped area of fertile land that incorporates parts of present-day Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, Syria, Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Cyprus.
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Caitriona Maria is an education writer and owner of The Facts Institute. A teacher for seven years, she has been committed to providing students with the best learning opportunities possible, both domestically and abroad. Dedicated to unlocking students' potential, Caitriona has taught English in several countries and continues to explore new cultures through her travels.