Country Pages: Syria

Hand made carpets

Located on the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea, Syria is a Middle Eastern Arab country with a long, rich history. Perhaps one of the most alluring aspects of Syria is the hospitality of its people towards strangers and travelers. The kindness and tolerance exhibited by the Syrian people is often attributed to a number of historical factors. These include Syria's location as a crossroads between various civilizations, and the mutual generosity and cooperation that results from living in a desert landscape.

Arabic is the official language of Syria and the mother tongue of approximately 90 percent of the population. Other languages such as Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian, French, and English are also spoken in various regions of the country. Almost three-fourths of Syrians are Sunni Muslims, while minority Shi'ite, Druze and Alawites account for 15 percent of the population. Various Christian sects represent the remaining 10 percent.

The Basilica of St. Simeon Stylite (Qala'at Samaan)

Damascus is not only the capital and largest city of Syria, but also holds the distinguishing label as the oldest continually inhabited city in the world. Damascus and the other major cities of Aleppo and Homs - Syria's second and third largest cities respectively - are home to numerous ancient castles, monuments, and historical Islamic sites.

Syrian has a strong reputation for education in the Middle East. There are four major universities in the country: Damascus University, Aleppo University, Tishreen University in Latakia, and al-Baath University in Homs.here are also major public libraries, museums, and a large number of archaeological sites throughout the country.

Since 1980, 86 Fulbright grants to Syria have been awarded, including 17 renewals by Fulbright Scholars who chose to extend their sojourn for an additional year or more.Nearly two-thirds of these grants have been for lecturing and one-third for research, with an additional four awards for a combination of lecturing and research.

Nature with a river - Idleb

In addition to the four universities listed above, Fulbright Scholars have also been based at institutions such as the Deir Ez Zour Museum, the Aleppo Museum, and the Department of Antiquities in Damascus. U.S. Fulbright Scholars in Syria have been involved in a large variety of disciplines.

Arabic proficiency is required for most research and lecturing awards, except for those in American literature and some sciences.

CIES encourages interested applicants to make use of the following links to complement their research into potential opportunities available in Syria. Please also feel free to use the contact information to get in touch with CIES program personnel.

Embassy Information

Syrian Embassy
http://www.syrianembassy.org/
Official site of the Syrian Embassy with contact information for embassies and missions of Syria around the world. With links to general information about Syria, presidential speeches, and government documents.

U.S. Embassy in Damascus
http://usembassy.state.gov/damascus/
Official site of the U.S. Embassy in Damascus, with links to the U.S. Library/Information Research Center, and consular information and the history of U.S. - Syrian relations.

Syria Ministry of Tourism
http://www.syriatourism.org/
Official site of the Ministry of Tourism of Syria. Includes information on various regions of Syria, historical facts and attractions, and artistic and cultural events.

Café Syria
http://www.cafe-syria.com/
Extensive information on Syria, including history, economy, government, travel, and city-specific details.

Syria net
http://www.syria-net.com/
Collection of links to sites regarding business, language, culture, communications, and travel in Syria.

U.S. Department of State
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/bgn/index.cfm?docid=3580
Background information on Syria including political conditions, foreign relations, relations with the U.S., history, people, government, economy, and business.

Arab Social Science Research
http://www.assr.org/
A collection of Online research sources for the Arab World indexed by country, sources, and topics. Includes virtual libraries and links to many social science research centers throughout the world.

Arab Net
http://www.arab.net/
News, links, and country-specific information about the Arab world.

U.S. Department of State - Middle East and North Africa
http://usinfo.state.gov/regional/nea/nea.htm
U.S. news, reports, and policy relating to the Middle East and North Africa. Also includes links to numerous Online journals.

My Arabic Teacher
http://www.arabicteacher.com
Information for ordering a comprehensive, multi-media Arabic language/culture instructional software course.

Syrian Arab News Agency
http://www.sana.org/
New reports, headlines, and photos from Syria.

Arab Chat
http://chat.arab.net/
Chat server with public and private chat rooms for Online discussions in Arabic or English.