Explore Syria

Location:
Syria

Currency:
Syrian pound (SYP)

Communications:
The telephone code for Syria: + 963

About:
The ancient country of Syria is strategically placed along the eastern edges of the Mediterranean Sea, at the doorway to Asia and the Middle East.

For endless centuries is was fought-over and subsequently controlled by varied factions, including the Egyptian, Roman and Ottoman empires.

After World War I ended, the Ottoman Turks were finally driven out, and the French influence began. The French administered and exercised control of Syria until it finally gained its independence in 1946.

Quite typical of a newly independent country, Syria lacked political stability, and did experience a series of military coups during its first decade.

In 1958, Syria united with Egypt to form the United Arab Republic, but in 1961 the two entities separated and the Syrian Arab Republic was reestablished.

In the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Syria lost the Golan Heights to Israel, and since then, both countries have occasionally discussed its return to Syria.

Damascus, the capital, historically called the Fragrant City , is believed to be the oldest continuously inhabited city on the planet, and to this day remains one of the most important cultural and political centers in the Arab world.