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
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
Maps of Syria
(University of Texas)
Currency converter
Syrian pound (SYP)
National anthem
Audio, lyrics and sheet music
History and politics
Syria timeline
A chronology of key events (from the BBC)
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
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.uk. Review 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.