Discover
The identity of the nation
Syria is one of the cradles of biblical history and the Christian church. It was on the road to Damascus that Saul of Tarsus, a persecutor of the early Christians, encountered Jesus and became the apostle Paul, one of the greatest missionaries of all time. Damascus is considered one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, and for centuries it was home to a vibrant Christian community alongside the Muslim majority.
Today that legacy faces a real threat. After thirteen years of civil war and the fall of the former government in December 2024, Syria is living through a period of uncertain transition. Armed groups from different backgrounds compete for influence, and the population, weary of war, is trying to rebuild life amid the destruction of entire cities, such as Aleppo and Homs.
The Syrian Christian community, once numerous and influential, has shrunk drastically. Today only about 300,000 Christians remain, far fewer than a decade ago. Ancient churches, some with roots reaching back to the earliest centuries of Christianity, have emptied out amid mass emigration. An attack on the Orthodox church of Mar Elias, in Damascus, in 2025, showed how heavily insecurity has fallen on these communities.
Even so, Syria remains a territory of great spiritual importance. Thirty ethnic groups live in the country, and nineteen of them are considered unreached with the gospel. Kurds, Alawites, Druze, and Muslim Arabs form a mosaic of peoples who, for the most part, have never had close contact with the message of Jesus.
Praying for Syria means praying for a people marked by the pain of war, yet also the guardian of a unique biblical heritage. It means asking that, just as happened with Paul on the road to Damascus, many Syrians would have a personal, transformative encounter with Jesus Christ.
- Antiquity Damascus is one of the oldest cities in the world, continuously inhabited for millennia
- Around AD 37 Saul of Tarsus is converted on the road to Damascus and baptized by the disciple Ananias, becoming the apostle Paul
- 7th century Muslim Arab armies conquer the region, which becomes part of a great Islamic empire, with Damascus as its capital
- 1516-1918 The region is part of the Ottoman Empire for four centuries
- 1920-1946 Syria is placed under French mandate, which occupies the territory after World War I
- 1946 Syria gains full independence
- 1963 A coup brings a new party to power
- 1971 A single family consolidates its hold on government, beginning a rule that lasts more than five decades
- 2011 Arab Spring protests are violently suppressed, sparking the civil war
- 2011-2024 Thirteen years of civil war leave hundreds of thousands dead and millions of refugees
- 2024 The former government falls in December, ending more than five decades of rule by the same family; a transitional government takes power
- Today The country is trying to rebuild amid political fragility, insecurity, and the flight of religious minorities
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Arabicthe official and majority language, spoken by about 90% of the population, in the everyday Levantine dialect
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Kurdishspoken by the Kurdish minority, mainly in the north and northeast of the country
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Aramaicstill spoken in a few villages north of Damascus, such as Maalula, one of the last communities in the world to keep alive the language Jesus spoke
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Armenianspoken by descendants of Armenians who took refuge in the country after the 1915 genocide
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Assyrian (Syriac)spoken by Assyrian Christian communities, mainly in the northeast of the country
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Circassian and Turkmenspoken by small ethnic minorities scattered across the territory
Syria lies in the Middle East, on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, between Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, and Lebanon. Its territory combines a narrow, fertile coastal strip, mountain ranges to the west, and a large plateau stretching eastward, crossed by the Euphrates River, the country's main water source. About 60% of the territory is desert or semi-desert, and most of the population lives in the wetter strip between the coast and the Euphrates valley.
Major cities
- Damascusthe capital and one of the oldest cities in the world, with a historic center recognized by Unesco
- Aleppoa former commercial hub, with a medieval citadel and one of the largest covered markets in the world, still being rebuilt after the war
- Homsa central city linking the capital to the north and east of the country, one of the hardest hit by the conflict
- Latakiathe country's main port, on the Mediterranean coast
- Tartusa coastal port city, quieter and less affected by the war
- Palmyra (Tadmor)a city near the ruins of ancient Palmyra, one of the most important archaeological sites in the Middle East
Climate and temperature
Quibe (kibbeh)
the national dish, made of ground meat with cracked wheat (bulgur), seasoned and baked, fried, or served raw
Falafel
a fried chickpea patty, served inside pita bread with vegetables and tahini sauce
Homus
a creamy paste of chickpeas, tahini, lemon, and garlic, served with pita bread
Xauarma (shawarma)
thin slices of meat slow-roasted on a spit, wrapped in pita bread
Tabule
a fresh salad of fine bulgur wheat, parsley, mint, tomato, and lemon
Cusa
small zucchini stuffed with rice and meat, cooked in a tomato or yogurt broth
Baclava
a sweet made of thin layers of pastry, chopped nuts, and honey or sugar syrup
Arabic coffee
strong coffee served in small cups, sometimes flavored with cardamom
Understand
Culture and spirituality
2a · The culture
Hospitality
welcoming visitors with coffee, tea, and food is a central value of Syrian culture
Souks (covered markets)
traditional markets, such as the one in Aleppo and the Al-Hamidiyah in Damascus, have been centers of trade and social life for centuries
Arabic poetry and music
Syria has a long tradition of poets and singers, with a strong presence in Arab culture more broadly
Craftsmanship
Damascus has been famous since antiquity for inlaid woodwork (marquetry) and silk fabrics
Religious diversity
Sunni Muslims, Alawites, Druze, Christians of various traditions, and other minorities have lived together in the same territory for centuries
Ancient cities
Damascus and Aleppo are among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world
- Photographing government or security buildings it can be interpreted as espionage and cause problems with the authorities
- Commenting on politics or the conflict the subject is sensitive and still causes tension between families and communities
- Talking about religion carelessly religious identity is tied to ethnic and social belonging and should be treated with respect
- Eating or drinking in public during Ramadan it is considered disrespectful to those who are fasting
- Showing the sole of your foot or using your left hand to hand over objects these gestures are considered rude in Arab culture
- Refusing coffee or tea when offered refusing hospitality can be seen as disrespectful to the host
2b · The field
Areas of spiritual battle and cultural captivity to cover in prayer. Tap each point to understand:
group identity (Sunni, Alawite, Kurdish, Druze) often carries more weight than faith or national unity
years of surveillance and war have left deep marks of suspicion between neighbors and families
following Islam is seen as part of belonging to one's family and nation, which makes any change of faith difficult
the cycle of wartime violence fuels the desire for retaliation among groups that fought each other in the conflict
decades of authoritarian rule shaped the habit of depending on strong leaders, even in spiritual life
beliefs in amulets, the evil eye, and the intercession of popular saints blend into everyday religious practice
material destruction and the loss of relatives leave many families without hope for the future
the mass exodus of Christians threatens to erase centuries of continuous Christian presence in the country
decades of abuse of power have eroded the population's trust in institutions
the black market and the survival economy push many families toward dishonest shortcuts
After the fall of the former government in December 2024, Syria became one of the most dangerous places in the world for followers of Jesus. In a short time, the country jumped dozens of places on Open Doors’ persecution list and joined the group of nations with the highest level of persecution against Christians.
In June 2025, a suicide attack struck the Orthodox church of Mar Elias, in Damascus, during a worship service, killing dozens of people and wounding many others. It was the first attack of its kind in the capital since the fall of the former government, and it showed how vulnerable Christians have become in a country in transition, without consolidated security forces.
Today only about 300,000 Christians remain in Syria, far fewer than a decade ago. The thirteen-year civil war and the insecurity that followed the change of government have driven entire families to leave the country, emptying churches that have existed since the earliest centuries of Christianity.
Armed extremist groups remain active in several regions, and religious minorities, including Christians, Alawites, and Druze, live in fear of retaliation and discrimination. Those who leave Islam to follow Jesus face the risk of rejection by their own family and, in some cases, violence.
The persecution score runs from 0 to 100: the higher it is, the greater the pressure on Christians.
Syria has 30 ethnic groups catalogued by the Joshua Project, and 19 of them are considered unreached, that is, without a local church with enough strength and resources to evangelize its own people. Syrian Arabs are the largest group, followed by Kurds, Alawites, and Druze. Despite the country's centuries-old Christian presence, only 0.2% of the population is evangelical, and the civil war, followed by the recent wave of emigration, has further reduced the local church.
- 9.3M Unreached 35.4%
- 16.4M Minimally reached 62.8%
- 278K Superficially reached 1.1%
- 165K Partially reached 0.7%
- 0 Significantly reached 0%
- 19 Unreached 63.3%
- 4 Minimally reached 13.3%
- 5 Superficially reached 16.7%
- 2 Partially reached 6.7%
- 0 Significantly reached 0%
Source of people group data: Joshua Project (joshuaproject.net). Estimates, may vary.
Muslim Lebanese Arab
Kurmanji Kurd Frontier
Egyptian Arab
Syrian Arab
Eastern Bedawi Bedouin Frontier
Palestinian Arab
Western Aramaic
Source: Joshua Project. Estimates, may vary.
Source: Joshua Project and Progress.Bible. Estimates, may vary.
Standard Arabic Official
Levantine Arabic
Najdi Arabic
North Mesopotamian Arabic
Eastern Egyptian Bedawi Arabic
Mesopotamian Arabic
Kabardian
Pray
Intercede for this nation
Send and sustain
Not everyone goes, everyone takes part
Not everyone goes. Everyone takes part.
Behind every worker among these peoples stands a network of people who pray without ceasing, care for the family left behind, and faithfully sustain the work. Sending is mission too.
Start with your church: introduce this nation, adopt it in ongoing prayer, and walk alongside those God is raising up to go.
Go
Practical details for those who want to go
Local time
Cost of living
price quoted in dollars; the local currency underwent a monetary reform in 2026 and the exchange rate is still unstable
Cost by city
Reference values (source: Numbeo). Confirm before traveling.
Practical points for those who go
- Safety: the political situation is still unstable, so seek up-to-date information before any travel within the country.
- Currency: the Syrian pound has lost much of its value in recent years and underwent a monetary reform in 2026 that removed two zeros from the old currency; many prices are still quoted in US dollars as a reference.
- Power: power outages are still common in much of the territory.
- Internet: internet access can be unstable or monitored in some regions.
- Infrastructure: roads, buildings, and services in several cities still bear the scars of war.
- Language: Arabic is essential day to day; outside the major centers, few people speak English.