Syria Culture

Syria is a traditional society with long cultural history. Syria offered the world the Ugarit cuneiform, the root for the Phoenician alphabet, which dates back to the fourteenth century BC. Family, religion, education and respect are of equal importance in the Syrian society. The taste for the traditional arts is expressed in the dance such as the Al-Samah and the Dabkes in all their variations and even the famous sword dance. The births of a child in the family along with marriage are occasions for the lively demonstration of their folk customs.

Today, the bursting souk and the smell of air spiced with cardamom will greet you as you enter to this land. During the Ramadan, restaurants are closed. The Arabic language is so pervasive however; some can speak a little English. Most Syrians have an adept ability to be patient with tourists. While the secular regime under President Assad callously suppresses political opposition, anyone expecting a conservative façade of Syrian society would be shocked by some of the provocative underwear in animal prints and lace that adorned the walls of some of the ladies underwear shops in the souks of its capital Damascus. This is attributed to the heavy influence of the West in terms of dressing up, music and the like.

Tourists to the capital can largely confine themselves to the magical winding streets of the old city which has the Umayyad Mosque at its heart and a flourishing Christian Quarter. About 10 percent of the populace is Christian and such open-mindedness has always been part of Syria's culture.