10 August 2026. The Damascus Citadel is hosting 23 Syrian archaeological artifacts recently returned from France as part of an exhibition held during the “Syria Summer for Families 2026” Festival. The exhibition gives visitors an opportunity to learn about Syrian heritage with pieces dating from prehistoric times to the Ottoman era and reflecting the diversity of Syrian civilization.Read more at: SANA
2 August 2026. In the Al-Jazeera interview, the President spoke of fundamental governing principles: serving the people, defending them, and standing against injustice. Of Syria’s 7,000 years of history and diversity he said, “I believe humanity began here… we stand before the cradle of human civilization.”Read more at: SANAWatch video at: AL JAZEERA
21 July 2026. The Ministry of Tourism announced that over 3.5 million people had visited Syria in the first half of 2026, more than double the number from the same period in 2025. Foreign tourists accounted for the largest increase, with Syrian expatriates serving as “Syria’s ambassadors around the world.”Read more at: SANA
24 July 2026. Authorities in Aleppo are moving ahead with plans to restore the city’s UNESCO-listed Old City, aiming to preserve its historic character, revive centuries-old markets and encourage residents to return as part of broader efforts to support economic recovery, a local official said on Thursday. Restoration work is currently underway on five historic markets and several landmark buildings damaged during years of war. Read more at: SANA
18 July 2026. The file of recovering Syrian antiquities is witnessing growing momentum, with dozens of artifacts being repatriated from both inside and outside the country. This trajectory combines citizen-led initiatives, official institutional efforts, and diplomatic action in the post-liberation era, aiming to protect the national heritage and recover cultural properties that were lost or smuggled during the years of war. Read more at: SANA
17 July 2026. The Krak des Chevaliers, one of Syria’s best-known medieval landmarks and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is re-emerging as a major tourist destination following restoration work after damage sustained during the war. Perched on a hill 750 meters above sea level in the western countryside of Homs, the fortress dates back nearly nine centuries and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2006. Watch video at: SANA
13 July 2026. Maktab Anbar, one of Damascus’ most prominent historic landmarks located in the heart of Damascus Old City, and a leading example of 19th-century Damascene architecture, has been added to the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) Heritage List, marking a renewed international recognition of Syria’s cultural heritage. Read more at: SANA
7 July 2026. Western classical music and traditional Arabic musical heritage came together at the Damascus Opera House on Monday during “Syria: The First Symphony,” a concert featuring Syrian pianist and composer Gaswan Zerikly alongside the Arab Music Ensemble for Heritage Revival. Speaking to SANA, Zerikly said the title reflects Syria’s historical significance as the birthplace of the world’s earliest known musical notation, discovered in the ancient city of Ugarit. Read more at: SANA
By Zeina Yagan After landing at Damascus International Airport, and while being transferred to the airport building, I could not hold back my tears. Am I really in Damascus? From the very first glance, I felt a deep sadness. The airport simply does not suit you, Damascus. You deserve a better one. And yet, amid this feeling of heaviness, there was warmth. The people working inside the airport were highly professional, generous, and smiling. They were doing their best to leave a warm first impression on Syrians coming back home. In that moment, longing prevailed over everything else. Read More …
2 July 2026. Syria’s first private folk heritage museum opened in Jayroud, showcasing Qalamoun’s social life and traditions. Officials and researchers say it strengthens cultural preservation, documents community history, and highlights privatesector support for heritage protection. Read more at: SANA
2 July 2026. ICESCO added Daraa’s AlOmari Mosque to its heritage lists, recognizing its early Islamic architecture and deep historical layers. Officials say the designation will expand international cooperation, technical support and future restoration efforts. Read more at: SANA
18 June 2026. Qalb Lozeh Church, a major landmark within the Ancient Villages of Northern Syria (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), was once a significant center of worship and pilgrimage. Built in the late fifth century, its design influenced the construction of medieval churches across the Mediterranean world.Read more at: SANA
10 June 2026. Apamea, one of the region’s most important archaeological sites, dating back to the time of Alexander the Great, has been added to the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) heritage lists. The inclusion will help to promote and preserve Syria’s cultural heritage.Read more at: SANA
26 May 2026. Conservation teams are working to preserve Syria’s archaeological heritage of mosaic floors and wall panels dating from the 2nd-6th centuries AD. Despite severe damage from bombings during the civil war, streams of visitors from Syria and abroad affirm the site’s cultural importance.Read more at: SANA
3 May 2026. Syria’s tourism sector is expanding into an engine for investment, with new projects and rehabilitation of sites creating thousands of jobs, revitalizing professions, restoring local areas, and strengthening confidence in the country’s evolving economic landscape.Read more at: SANA
28 April 2026. A new exhibition traces the evolution of writing from prehistoric symbols carved in stone to the world’s earliest alphabet, highlighting Syria’s enduring role in shaping written communication across civilizations.Read more at: SANAWatch video at: SANA
The urgency of restoring Syria’s textile industry goes beyond economic revival; it is about preserving irreplaceable connections to the nation’s cultural soul and ensuring that the knowledge, stories, and social practices embedded in textile creation continue to exist for future generations.
18 April 2026. Students at Damascus University staged a ‘heritage marathon,’ serving as guides to many ancient sites in the Old City, which has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The event was designed to highlight Syria’s cultural richness and strengthen its appeal as a center of tourism.Read more at: SANA
18 April 2026. Natural perfume-making is expanding in Syria through home-based projects led by women. They are turning traditional skills into small businesses that meet market demand, create income, preserve heritage, and support women’s economic empowerment.Read more at: SANA
The decree issued by President Ahmed al-Sharaa is a historic decree, similar in importance to the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, or national origin. The Proclamation has the potential to end discrimination against the brave and dignified Kurdish people, who represent an essential component of the Syrian fabric. Read More at: Dr Zaher Sahloul…
It is tempting to read what is emerging in Damascus as a straightforward turn toward religious governance; as if Syria is finally resolving a long tension between secularism and Islam in favor of the latter. But this reading misses the deep entanglement between the secular and the religious in Syria, not over the past 50 years, but for too many centuries. What the new Syrian government is constructing is not the defeat of the secular by the religious. It is, rather, the latest iteration of that entanglement — and perhaps the first authentic one in decades. Read More at: Line Khatib, Radio Free Syria…
Once scattered and safeguarded abroad, Syria’s native seeds are taking root once more, part of an organic revival aimed at restoring the country’s agricultural heritage. “A hundred years ago, our grandparents used to save seeds from their own crops and replant them the next season, generation after generation. This concept has always existed—we’re just reviving it. It’s our way of responding to crisis and heading towards food sovereignty,” seed farmer, Ibrahim al-Youssef, explained.Read More at: Philippe Pernot, Syria Direct…
In his Easter greetings, Dr Sahloul describes how the Christian and Muslim faiths have been integrated harmoniously for centuries in Syrian life. He explains that in his native city of Homs, “the sound of Muslim call for prayer intertwines with the sound of church bells. Local TV and radio stations air Christian songs. Muslim and Christian youth perform the local folkloric Aradha, chanting mythical songs about Homs, the city of peace and den of lions.”Read more at: Dr Zaher Sahloul…
11 April 2026. The unique exhibition celebrates thousands of years of Syria’s rich cultural legacy. Organized by Syrian students in Istanbul, along with artists and local community groups, the retrospective highlights the enduring creativity and resilience of one of humanity’s oldest civilizations.Read more at: SANA
4 April 2026. Al-Yaqubieh is known for its olive groves and orchards, alongside Armenian and Syriac Christian communities that have a centuries-old shared heritage, and where Arabic and Armenian are still spoken. Residents have begun to return and restore community life since the end of the civil war.Read more at: SANA
