Syria

News reports and articles 

Latest news about Syria 
A compilation from multiple sources

Brian Whitaker's blog posts and other articles about Syria

Online news sources for Syria

Syria and chemical weapons 
A compilation of blog posts and documents

Coronavirus in Syria


Basic information

CIA World Factbook
The geography, people, government and economy of Syria

BBC country profile
Essential facts, plus politics, media and key dates in Syria;s history

BBC territorial profile - Golan Heights

Local time

Local weather

Maps of Syria 
(University of Texas)

Currency converter 
Syrian pound (SYP) 

National anthem 
Audio, lyrics and sheet music 

More about the Syrian flag


History and politics

Syria timeline
A chronology of key events (from the BBC)

Constitutional background

Text of constitution (1973)

New constitution (2012)

List of government ministers (CIA)

International Crisis Group 
Recent reports on Syria

Documents 
Historical and political texts relating to Syria

Syria and chemical weapons
A compilation of official documents


Economy

World Bank: Syria 
Comprehensive economic data

Syria and the IMF

Water and agriculture in Syria
FAO country profile

Economic reform in Syria
Interview with President Bashar al-Asad (Ash-Sharq al-Awsat, 8 February, 2001)

Political obstacles to economic reform in Syria  
Gary C. Gambill (MEIB, July 2001)


Syria: further reading

Burning Country: Syrians in Revolution and War 
by Robin Yassin-Kassab and Leila Al-Shami, 2016. Available from amazon.com or amazon.co.ukReview by Brian Whitaker 

Syria Burning: A Short History of a Catastrophe 
by Charles Glass, 2016. Available from amazon.com or amazon.co.uk

Aleppo: The Rise and Fall of Syria's Great Merchant City
by Philip Mansel, 2016. Available from amazon.com or amazon.co.uk

ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror 
by Michael Weiss and Hassan Hassan, 2015. Available from amazon.com or amazon.co.uk

Syria: A Recent History 
by John McHugo, 2015. Available from amazon.com or amazon.co.uk

Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS 
by Joby Warrick, 2015. Available from amazon.com or amazon.co.uk

SYRIA: Descent Into the Abyss 
by Robert Fisk, Patrick Cockburn and Kim Sengupta, 2015. Available from amazon.com or amazon.co.uk

Inside Syria: The Backstory of Their Civil War and What the World Can Expect 
by Reese Erlich, 2014. Available from amazon.com or amazon.co.uk

Syria: A History of the Last Hundred Years 
by John McHugo, 2015. Available from amazon.com or amazon.co.uk

Among the Ruins: Syria Past and Present
by Christian Sahner, 2014. Available from amazon.com or amazon.co.uk

Syria Speaks: Art and Culture from the Frontline 
by Malu Halasa, Zaher Omareen and Nawara Mahfoud (eds), 2014. Available from amazon.com or amazon.co.uk. NOTE: It is inadvisable to read this book on a plane.

Syria's Uprising and the Fracturing of the Levant 
by Emile Hokayem, 2013. Available from amazon.com or amazon.co.uk

Syria: The Fall of the House of Assad
by David Lesch, 2013. Available from amazon.com or amazon.co.uk

Revolt in Syria: Eye-witness to the Uprising
Stephen Starr, 2012. Available from amazon.com or amazon.co.uk

The Syrian Rebellion 
Fouad Ajami, 2012. Available from amazon.com or amazon.co.uk

In the Lion's Den: An Eyewitness Account of Washington's Battle with Syria 
Andrew Tabler, 2011. Available from amazon.com or amazon.co.uk

The Struggle for Power in Syria: Politics and Society under Asad and the Ba'th Party
by Nikolaos van Dam, 2011. Available from amazon.com or amazon.co.uk

Soup for Syria: Recipes to Celebrate our Shared Humanity 
by Barbara Abdeni Massaad, 2015. Available from amazon.com or amazon.co.uk

The Aleppo Cookbook: Celebrating the Legendary Cuisine of Syria
by Marlene Matar, 2016. Available from amazon.com or amazon.co.uk

Secret Life of Syrian Lingerie: Intimacy and Design 
by Malu Halasa and Rana Salam, 2008. Available from amazon.com or amazon.co.uk

Note: al-bab receives commission from Amazon for book purchases made using links on this site.