Introduction to Syria

Syria is often described as "the largest small country in the world" inspite of the fact that it covers only 185, 180. SQ.KM, with a population of 16,000,000 people (1999 estimate). so where did this description come from ? and how can we solve such a paradox ? let us start the story from the beginning:

Syria is the cradle of the great ancient civilization. it is here that agriculture began ten thousands years ago, when the Syrians succeeded in uniting water with wheat, and in getting thousands of grains out of one grain. hence, the settlement commenced, and civilization started (the sites of Mreibit, Jeiroud, Yabroud…). Syria also presented the world with another discovery, it was here that copper was made pliable, and bronze was invented (the site of Tal Halaf). later, the ancient kingdoms were formed (Mari – Ugharit – Ebla – Yamhad). All these were Arab kingdoms and their inhabitants spoke different dialects of a language of Arabic origin. those inhabitants, known as the Amorites, or the Phoenicians or the Arameans, or the Canaanites and the Ghassanites, were the descendents of the Arabs who immigrated ages ago from the Arab peninsula, and gave Syria its Arab identity.

The immense strategic importance of Syria is due to its unique position as the meeting point of the three continents, and as the crossroad among the Mediterranean, the Indian ocean, the Caspion sea, the black sea and the Nile. Through Syria lay the silk road which led from china to the first Syrian station, Doura Europos (Tal As’salhiyeh), then to Palmyra and Homs, to the Syrian ports on the Mediterranean which was turned by the Syrian sailors into an Arab lake thousands of years ago. This geographical position lent distinction to the country, not only as a trade and caravan road, but also a meeting-point of diverse ideas, beliefs and cultures. Therefore, Syria contains remains of all great ancient civilizations.

Syria, that witnessed the discovery of agriculture and the creation of Alloys, offered humanity the first Alphabet in history (Ugarit). the alphabet, without which man could have never learnt how to write, to think and to live as a true human being.

With the Islamic conquest (636 A.D) Dimashq (Damascus) became the capital of Omayyad state, which stretched from the borders of china to south France, since then, Syria has retained its unique position in the heart of the Arab and Islamic nation. It was Syria that defended the Arab nation against the crusaders, and it is still preserving the Arab unity against all forms of colonialism and occupation by always being present in the Arab and international circles, thus deserving its historical position as "the largest small country in the world".

Historical Background of Syria

Central to Syrian history has been the country's domination over centuries by powerful neighbors, although it has had brief periods of self-rule and of high cultural achievement. Important remains of Syria's past that can be seen today include traces of a Bronze Age township at Ras Shamra, of Hittite settlements on the Euphrates at Kadesh, and of Assyrian (and much earlier) habitation at Tel Ahmar.

There are Phoenician ruins on the Mediterranean coast at Amrit and imposing Roman buildings at mid-desert Palmyra. Important examples of Muslim architecture are found in Damascus, Aleppo, and elsewhere, and the Christian tradition in Syria is represented by the cathedral at Tartus and by many Christian monuments elsewhere. Finally, there are the splendid Crusader castles, including the remarkable and those at Sahyun.

Contemporary Syria, since its independence, has experienced a number of military coups and government changes. Successive governments have attempted to balance pan-Arabism and Syrian nationalism, in a socialist context. Major domestic goals have included economic improvement and the welding together of diverse elements in the population to achieve a cohesive national outlook. Syria's relations with its Arab neighbors have often been less than amicable, and its hostility to neighboring Israel is unremitting.

The actual events of SYRIA can be summarized from the beginnings of agriculture which started round about 12000 years ago, and the first glimmerings of a distinctive “SYRIAN CULTURE” which goes back to the early bronze age, sumerians, Akkadians, Phoenicians, Aramaeans, Egyptians, Hittites, Assyrians, and Persians, all have left steps behind to record their vectories and civilizations.
In the wake of Sargon’s campaigns came the Amorites, then the Babylon, Canaanites were another Semitic peoples associated with SYRIA soon after 2000 BC, settled on the coastal strip and their language was probably the first to be written using a system of individual letters rather than words or syllables (cuneiform scripts).

The Aramaic States of SYRIA, however, were extinguished by the resurgent new Assyrian Empire after 900 BC. After the collapse of the Persian Empire, SYRIA had been ruled by Greeks, Romans and Byzantines Empires, then it felt under the ARABS, SYRIA therefore become the center of a new world and the leading torchbearer of civilization, with Damascus as its capital under the Umayyad dynasty of caliphs.
Abbasids, Hamadanids and Ottoman Turkey who also ruled SYRIA in the modern period.

Ancient Syria

Ancient Syria has been successively ruled by the Egyptians, Babylonians, Hittites, Chaldeans and Persians. It became part of Alexander the Great's empire in 333B.C., when one Alexander's generals founded the city of Antioch as its capital. Struggles between the Seleucids and the Ptolemies of Egypt followed, until 64B.C., when Syria became a province of the Roman Empire.

Following the decline and collapse of the Romans and the division of the empire in the 4th century A.D., Syria became a Byzantine province and remained so for almost two and a half centuries.
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The Islamic and Ottoman

In 636A.D. Syria was again conquered, this time by the Arabs, and became part of the fast-growing Islamic Empire. Damascus became the capital of the Umayyad dynastic empire, when it was the seat of several powerful Umayyad caliphs. Rule by another Muslim dynasty, the Abbasids, followed.

By the end of the 11th century, the Crusaders had arrived in the region and incorporated part of Syria into their Christian Kingdom of Jerusalem. When Salah al-Din (Saladin) defeated the Crusaders, he took Syria and overthrew the Kingdom of Jerusalem at the end of the 12th century.

Syria was then ruled by the Mamelukes and, after 1516, became part of the Ottoman Empire, which held fast until the beginning of the First World War. At that time, an alliance between Britain, France and the Arab people resulted in the expulsion of the Turks from Syria.
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