Syria Travel Guide

Syria — Country and Tourist Information

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Country Facts

Location: Middle East.
Language: Arabic, French and English. Kurdish is spoken by a small minority.
Area: 185,180 sq km (71,498 sq miles).
Time Zone: GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from 1 April to 1 October).
Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz. European-style two-pin plugs.
Population: 18.6 million (UN estimate 2005).
Population Density: 100.4 per sq km.
Capital City: Damascus. Population: 3.5 million (official estimate 2003).
Government: Republic since 1973. Gained independence in 1946.
Head of Government: Prime Minister Muhammad Naji al-Otari since 2003.
Head of State: President Bashar al-Assad since 2000.
Religion: Over 80% Muslim (mostly Sunni), with sizeable Christian (mostly Orthodox and Catholic) groups and Jewish minorities.

Recent History

In June 2000, after years of failing health, President Assad died. Having fallen out with his brother, Rifaat, some years earlier, and with the accidental death of his eldest son, Basil, in 1994, Assad had selected his second son, Bashar, as heir. While domestic policy has seen something of a relaxation under Bashar, Western hopes that the Syrian Arab Republic would pursue a more pro-Western line have proved misguided - in the vocabulary of the US Bush administration, the Syrian Arab Republic is a ‘state of concern’ (one level below the ‘axis of evil’). The Syrians have provided some assistance to the Western ‘War Against Terror’ but were strongly opposed to the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Syria pulled its forces out of Lebanon in 2005, after coming under intense international pressure following a UN report that implicated the Syrian Arab Republic in the assassination of former Premier of Lebanon, Rafik Hariri. Both Syria and pro-Syria Lebanese officials were thought to be involved, although this has been strongly denied by Damascus.

Communications

Telephone

Country Code: +963. Public telephones are available.

Mobile Telephone

International roaming agreements have been established. Coverage is good, covering 95% of the populated areas.

Internet

Access to Internet services is available in universities and public offices.

Media

The government and Baath Party own and control much of the Syrian media. Criticism of the president and his family is not permitted and the domestic and foreign press are censored. Press freedom swelled after Bashar al-Assad became president in 2000, overseeing the licensing of the first private publications in almost 40 years. However, a subsequent press law imposed a range of restrictions. Publications had to obtain licenses from the prime minister and could be suspended for violating content bans. Websites deemed to be offensive or anti-Syrian are banned by the government.

Post

Airmail to Western Europe takes up to 10 days. Parcels sent from the Syrian Arab Republic should be packed at the post office. There are post offices in virtually all towns.Mon-Fri 0800-1400; larger branches are open longer.

Press

• The Syria Times is published daily in English.
• All other newspapers are in Arabic (the most important ones being Al-Baath, Al-Thawra and Tishrin).
• International papers are also widely available.

Radio

• Private, commercial FM broadcasters are currently being developed, but will be unable to transmit news or political content.
• The first of these private FM stations has already emerged: Al-Madina FM, launched in March 2005.
• Syrian Arab Republic Radio is a state-run service, as is Radio Damascus, although this is an external service (broadcasting in several languages, including English).

Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2010-December 2011 period.
2010
25 Dec Christmas Day

2011
1 Jan New Year’s Day
15 Feb Mouloud (Birth of the Prophet)
8 Mar Revolution Day
21 Mar Mother’s Day
17 Apr Independence Day
24 Apr Easter
24 Apr - 27 Apr Orthodox Easter
1 May Labor Day
6 May Martyrs’ Day
31 Aug Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan)*
6 Oct October Liberation War
6 Nov Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice)
26 Nov Islamic New Year
25 Dec Christmas Day

2012
1 Jan New Year’s Day
4 Feb Mouloud (Birth of the Prophet)
8 Mar Revolution Day
21 Mar Mother’s Day
8 Apr Easter
14 Apr Orthodox Easter
17 Apr Independence Day
1 May Labor Day
6 May Martyrs’ Day
19 Aug Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan)
6 Oct October Liberation War
25 Oct Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice)
15 Nov Islamic New Year
25 Dec Christmas Day
Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximations. During the lunar month of Ramadan that precedes Eid al-Fitr, Muslims fast during the day and feast at night and working hours are 0900-1400. Many restaurants are closed during the day and there may be restrictions on smoking and drinking.

Contact Information

Ministry of Tourism

P.O.Box 6642, Barada Street, Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic
Tel: (11) 221 0122.
Website: www.syriatourism.org

Embassy of the Syrian Arab Republic in the UK

8 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8PH, UK
Tel: (020) 7245 9012 or 7201 8830/1 (consular).
Opening hours: Mon- Fri 1000-1200 (visa applications); 1300-1400 (enquiries); 1400-1500 (visa collection).
Website: www.syrianembassy.co.uk