Culture of Syria

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Culture of Syria
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The scribes of the city of Ugarit (modern Ras Shamra) created a cuneiform alphabet in the 14th century BC. The alphabet was written in the familiar order we use today like the English language, however with different characters.^[3]

Archaeologists have discovered extensive writings and evidence of a culture rivaling those of

Syrians have contributed to

In 1948, the partitioning of neighbouring Palestine and the establishment of Israel brought about a new turning point in Syrian writing. Adab al-Iltizam, the "literature of political commitment", deeply marked by social realism, mostly replaced the romantic trend of the previous decades. Hanna Mina, rejecting art for art's sake and confronting the social and political issues of his time, was arguably the most prominent Syrian novelist of this era. Following the Six-Day War in 1967, Adab al-Naksa, the "literature of defeat", grappled with the causes of the Arab defeat.

The

Syria has always been one of Arabic poetry's centers of innovation and has a proud tradition of oral and written poetry. It has contributed to Arabic poetry mostly in the classical and traditional Arabic genres with influence from the French Romantic influences brought to the country while under French rule.

One of the most prominent Syrian poets include Badawi al-Jabal, whose poetic style was classical Arabic prose, based on the Abbasid-era tradition.^[8] His work is mostly influenced to some extents by his experience of exile, poverty and political activism,^[8] and he's considered to be "one of the greatest poets of the old school".^[8]

Another prominent Syrian poet was

Syria's capital,

Syria's folk music is for the most part based on the oud, the ney and lap-held drums, with little if any vocal accompaniment.^[14] In Nomadic regions, Bedouin music which is based on the Mizmar and Rebab is popular.

Modern Syrian music notably contrasts folk music. It uses an orchestra of mostly European instruments with one lead vocalists and a backup chorus.^[14] This type of music is widespread, especially among young people, including Assala Nassri, Farid al-Atrash, Fahd Ballan, Sabah Fakhri, Mayada El Hennawy, Rushwan al-Deek and George Wassouf.^[15]

Syria was one of the earliest centers of Christian

One of the most popular dances in Syria is the Dabkeh, a folk dance combining circle dancing and line dancing formed from right to left and headed by a leader which alternates between facing the audience and other dancers. It is mostly performed at weddings and other joyous occasions. Other popular folklore dances include the "Arāḍa" (Arabic: عراضة), a dance performed with swords as well as oriental dance for women.

Architecture

Traditional Houses of the Old Cities in Damascus, Aleppo and some other Syrian cities are preserved and traditionally the living quarters are arranged around one or more courtyards, typically with a fountain in the middle supplied by spring water, and decorated with citrus trees, grape vines, and flowers.^[2]

One of the most notable examples of the traditional

Outside of larger city areas such as Damascus, Aleppo or Homs, residential areas are often clustered in smaller villages. The buildings themselves are often quite old (perhaps a few hundred years old), passed down to family members over several generations. Residential construction of rough concrete and blockwork is usually unpainted, and the palette of a Syrian village is therefore simple tones of grays and browns.[18]

Media

Syrian cuisine is rich and varied in its ingredients and is linked to the regions of Syria where a specific dish has originated. Syrian food mostly consists of Southern Mediterranean, Greek, and Southwest Asian dishes. Some Syrian dishes also evolved from Turkish and French cooking. Dishes like

Syrians are also well known for their

The most popular sports in Syria are

The highest division of football in Syria is the Syrian Premier League which began to play in 1966. The league's champion is Al-Jaish SC, based in Damascus.

Fairs and festivals

References