37 Facts About Syria Most People Get Wrong

Damascus is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, at least 11,000 years.

Palmyra was the greatest Silk Road city connecting Rome to Persia.

Syria has 6 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The Syrian civil war began in 2011 and caused one of the largest refugee crises in history.

Aleppo is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on Earth, with traces of settlement dating back 8,000 years.

Syria is home to the world's first true alphabet: the Ugaritic alphabet, developed around 1400 BCE in the ancient city of Ugarit on the Syrian coast.

The word damask, a type of woven fabric, comes directly from Damascus; Syria produced some of the finest silk in the ancient world.

Krak des Chevaliers, a Crusader castle in western Syria, is considered the best-preserved medieval castle in the world.

The ancient city of Ebla, discovered in Syria in the 1970s, revealed one of the oldest known archives: 17,000 cuneiform tablets from 2400-2300 BCE.

Syria's Bosra, built almost entirely from black basalt, contains a Roman theater that seats 15,000 and is one of the best preserved in the world.

Apamea, a Syrian city once larger than ancient Rome, had a colonnaded street stretching 1.8 km long.

Maalula village is one of the few places where Western Aramaic, the language spoken by Jesus, is still a living spoken language.

Ancient Syria was home to the Aramaic language, which became the lingua franca of the Near East and was the everyday language spoken by Jesus of Nazareth.

Syria's Dead Cities, over 700 abandoned Byzantine settlements in the northwest, form one of the most remarkable archaeological landscapes in the world.

Before 2011, Damascus was the Arab world's second fastest-growing tourist destination, named by Lonely Planet as the top city to visit in 2008.

Syria's Norias of Hama, giant wooden waterwheels on the Orontes River reaching 20 meters in diameter, have been in continuous operation for over 1,000 years.

The Battle of Qadesh around 1274 BCE, fought in Syria between Ramesses II and the Hittites, is the earliest recorded battle in history.

Syria's Hauran volcanic plateau has thousands of ancient basalt structures, including villages and temples that have been continuously inhabited for millennia.

Syrian cuisine, including kibbeh, tabbouleh, and shawarma, is considered one of the foundations of modern Middle Eastern food culture worldwide.

Syria's pre-war population was around 22 million; by 2023 only an estimated 14-15 million remained in the country.

Qasr al-Hayr al-Gharbi, an Umayyad desert palace in Syria, features frescoes combining Byzantine, Persian, and early Islamic art in a single room.

Latakia was the ancient Laodicea ad Mare, a major Hellenistic port city founded by Seleucus I, a general of Alexander the Great.

Syria's Khabur River in the northeast was the heartland of the Mitanni Empire, which rivaled ancient Egypt in power from 1500-1200 BCE.

Syria had over 10,000 archaeological sites before the civil war, more than any other Arab country open to tourists.

The Syrian civil war has created over 5.6 million registered refugees, the largest displacement crisis since WWII.

A 2,000-year-old shopping street called the Hamidiyeh Souk in Damascus is still in use today, one of the world's longest continuously operating bazaars.

Syria is located in Middle East, Asia, with its capital city in Damascus.

The population of Syria is approximately 21.3M, spread across 185,180 km² of territory.

Syria has a population density of 115/km²: a moderate density for its region.

Syria has a coastline of 193 km, giving it access to maritime trade, fishing and coastal tourism.

Syria shares land borders with 5 countries: Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon.

The official language of Syria is Arabic.

Syria uses the Syrian Pound (SYP) as its official currency.

Syria gained independence in 1946, establishing itself as a sovereign nation in Middle East.

The total GDP of Syria is $11.1B (est.), with a GDP per capita of $521 (est.), classifying it as a developing economy.

Syria has a mediterranean coast, hot desert inland climate, with the best time to visit being March–May, September–November.

Syria is considered a Budget destination for travellers, with meals averaging $2–6.

🕌 Old City of Damascus

UNESCO ancient city, the Umayyad Mosque, Straight Street and covered souqs unchanged for millennia

🏛️ Palmyra (Tadmor)

UNESCO ruins of the greatest Silk Road city, Roman temples and colonnades in the Syrian desert

🏰 Krak des Chevaliers

UNESCO the greatest Crusader castle ever built, a perfectly preserved medieval fortress

🏺 Ancient City of Aleppo

UNESCO one of the oldest cities in the world, Great Mosque, citadel and ancient souqs