The earliest known attempt to conquer Syria (Today the greater region of the Levant) by the Muslim armies of Arabia was in the 7th century AD. Prior to this, Syria had been under Roman/Byzantine rule for approximately 700 years and the majority of its population were Aramaic/Syriac & Greek speaking Christians, substantial populations of Jews and Pagans, and an Arab minority centralized in southern Syria. The region was recovering from the years-long Byzantine-Sassanid (Persian) war which weakened both empires, and flaws in the Byzantine’s defense system in Syria culminated in Arab Islamic takeover.
The Battle of Yarmouk took place in 643 AD following the death of the prophet Mohammed. This battle was led by the prophet’s successors and closest companions such as Abu Bakr, Umar ibn Khattab, and Khalid ibn al Walid. It marked the official takeover and conquest of Syria via the Syrian desert and finally capturing the stronghold, Damascus. The first Islamic dynasty was born, the “Rashidun Caliphate“, the dynasty of the “rightly-guided caliphs”.
After a siege that lasted from the 21st of August to the 19th of September in the year 634 AD, Khalid ibn al Walid entered Damascus through Bab Sharqi, the Eastern Gate. It is historically stated that the city was immediately surrendered to the Muslims by Thomas, Damascus’s Byzantine commander and the son-in-law of the Emperor Heraclius. This event would change the fate of Syria and the region forever. By 661 AD Damascus was chosen as the capital of the newly established Umayyad Empire, governed by Muawiya ibn Abu Sufyan of the prominent Arab clan of the Quraysh tribe, the Umayya’s. This occurred following the assassination of the last Rashidun caliph, Ali ibn Abi Talib.
Arabic became the administrative language, spoken by the now-ruling class of Syria, marking the beginning of the gradual spread of Arabic in the Levant. The Umayyad Era was marked by religious tolerance and architectural grandeur, however, the sociopolitical climate of this vast new empire was quite a disaster, and just 90 years later in 750 AD, the region fell to Abbasid rule. The Umayya clan was exterminated, and the sole survivor – Abd Al Rahman I – fled Syria, continuing the dynasty’s legacy in the remaining Umayyad stronghold: the Iberian Peninsula (Spain & Portugal), where it lived on in the European region until 1492!
With the crumbling of the Umayyad Empire, the Abbasids (Another Qurayshi clan, directly related to the Prophet Mohammed) exterminated the Umayyads and established their empire. The capital of this new caliphate was moved from the ancient and grand Damascus, to the newly established magnificent city of Baghdad – meaning Damascus and Syria generally lost some of their influence. It was during the mid Abbasid era, around the 9th & 10th centuries when Arabization came full force, eventually culminating in the end of Aramaic as a common language in the Levant. Under Abbasid rule, this area of the world became a powerful hub of the sciences, literature, astronomy, and philosophy.
It was during this period where valuable Syriac, Greek, and Persian works were translated to Arabic, and “The Six Books” were officially compiled almost two centuries after the death of the Islamic Prophet. The Six Books are a collection of “hadith” (literally meaning discourse) which is a record of conduct, moral guidance, a source of religious laws/interpretation, and details of religious obligations that Sunni Muslims follow. Therefore, the Abbasid era is an integral foundation to the establishment and spread of Sunni Islam, which has been the largest religious sect in Syria for several centuries and until today.
Syrian Islamic history is marked by incredible diversity. There have been about 20 different Islamic occupations throughout history. Several dynasties often occupied different regions of Syria at the same time. While all of them were Islamic, less than half of the empires in Syria following the Abbasid era were ethnically Arab! It is important to note, that the last Arab dynasty to rule over Syria was around 1100 AD. Despite the ethnic diversity, religiously speaking, the dynasties that have ruled for longer periods and left a more significant impact on Syria were Sunni dynasties, as Shia dynasties were often short-lived, centralized outside Syria, or governing only a region within Syria. This diversity has left its mark on Syrians until today, particularly Arab, Turkish/Turkic, Caucasian influence.
With each empire, the general period of rule, the area they controlled within Syria, and the religious sect is mentioned. The ethnic identity seen, represents the ethnicity of the ruling class and also, the military force of the respective empire that usually blends with the local population. Not all mentioned rules signify Syria as the main region of the empire (ex: the capital of the Ikhshidid Dynasty in Syria was Fustat, Egypt). Some of these dynasties also occupied different parts of Syria at the same time, and their borders constantly changed throughout their occupation.
Since the arrival of Islam in Syria, the percentage of Sunnis had been on a continuous steady incline up until about the 1960s when they stabilized at just below 75% of Syria. However, today, following the war, Sunnis likely constitute less than 65% of Syria. Within this percentage, is a vast array of national, ethnic, and cultural identities – which is why Syrian Sunnis are in fact, the most diverse religious group in Syria. Due to a lack of censuses and endlessly differing reports about population, displacement, deaths… It is impossible to break down the current identities of Syrian Sunnis today, as the war affected everyone regardless of ethnic identity.
Sunni Syrians form the majority in 11 of the 14 Syrian governorates, (Druze form the majority in Sweida, and the Alawites in Latakia & Tartus). Levantines/Arabs constitute the largest Sunni ethno-religious groups in all governorates except for Al Hasakeh, where Kurdish Sunnis form the majority. However, Syrian Levantine/Arab Sunnis remain as the largest ethno-religious group in Syria, down from 60% before the war and closer to 50% today.
Sunni Syrians have played a significant impact in the strive of an independent Syria from 400 years of Ottoman rule, supported by their Christian, Alawite, and Druze Syrian brethren, as well as the establishment of a modern republic independent from France. These struggles coincided with the Zionist occupation in Palestine, marking an era which saw the rise of both Arab & Syrian nationalism. Understandings of “Arabness” as a culture and identity, became directly tied with Islam, and Sunni Syrians were pioneers of such ideologies, and some advocated for a strictly “Syrian” identity. Due to this, regardless of their heritage, many Syrian Muslims viewed themselves as Arab.
Elite Sunni families of Syria’s main cities were mainly descendants of those who had benefited from earning important administrative roles during the Ottoman era. Generally speaking, this inherited status guaranteed political and social influence in shaping Syria’s modern social fabric – in turn, also establishing Sunni Islam as the dominant climate in Syria side by side with secularist policies. Since independence in 1946, 14 of 16 Syrian presidents have been Sunni, with the remaining two being of the Alawite Assad family which has been governing since 1971 until today.
Ideological differences and extent of religious practice, widely differ amongst Sunni Syrians, and Syria has long boasted that reality. Besides religious scholarship and political fields, Sunnis have historically had significant roles in medicine, trade and craftsmanship. Many Syrian Sunnis began migrating to the Arabian Gulf countries in the late 1960s, founding businesses and playing key roles in the economical and social rise of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in particular. By the 80s, more Sunnis began migrating westward for Europe and North America.
Today, countries with the largest Syrian Sunni diaspora include Turkey (<3.7 mil) and Jordan (<1.2 mil). Lebanon, Germany, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq, Sweden, the US, Egypt & Kuwait each have communities between 100,000 – 900,000. They are followed by Canada, the UK, Qatar, Australia, France & other EU nations, as well as South America, with populations of tens of thousands.
Syria is home to a diverse and rich mosaic of cultures, and among them are the Circassians, an ethnic group from the Northern Caucasus region. Circassians have a tragic history
Armenian identity is greatly impacted by a deep wound. Today, we celebrate their presence, perseverance and legacy in Syria, and we also acknowledge that many Armenians have become refugees once
Part 8 and the final religious group of the series about Syria’s religious makeup: the Yazidis. Special thanks to Syrian Yazidi followers @wailoo_ & @samarshekho who helped with the info!<br