The following newsletter was authored by DAB editor and intern coordinator, Luka Renić, and is based on his recent research trip to Syria. DAB plans to publish more content from the trip in the coming weeks.

Building upon the first Dialogue Across Borders newsletter from my trip to Syria in June 2025, we are bringing more impressions from a country going through an unprecedented and painful transition after the fall of President Bashār al-Assad's government in December 2024. Having visited Syria previously in 2021, stark differences were evident from the very beginning of the trip. Unlike before, when the entry of foreigners into the country was strictly controlled, subject to rigorous security checks, and pre-approvals that required a local sponsor and a security permit, Syrian borders are now open for most nationalities with visas on arrival, and foreigners are able to travel both by air and by land from a number of neighboring countries.

Arrival in Damascus revealed a stark contrast: war-damaged suburbs surround a city that still preserves a rich historical and religious heritage. Being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, the old city of Damascus bears marks of numerous empires and civilizations that it belonged to, including Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic cultural influences. Furthermore, it is home to a number of important religious sites. Among these is the Umayyad Mosque (al-Jāmiʿ al-Umawī), often considered one of the holiest sites in Islam. Once a Christian cathedral, it is considered to be the burial place of John the Baptist's head in Christian and Islamic traditions. Some of the other significant religious sites in the old city of Damascus are the Sayyida Ruqayya Mosque—a Twelver Shīʿa mosque and mausoleum—and numerous churches in the Christian quarter of Bāb Tūmā, including seats of both the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and the Syriac Orthodox Church. Also worth mentioning is the Chapel of Saint Ananias (Kanīsat al-Qiddīs Ḥanāniyā) at the end of the Straight Street (al-Shāriʿ al-Mustaqīm), where Saint Paul is believed to have been baptized in the house of Ananias of Damascus.

(A dialogue mural in Damascus.)

The atmosphere in Damascus is one of deep societal transformation marked by mixed attitudes and opinions ranging from optimism and celebration about a "New Syria" to caution and fear of total societal collapse and disintegration. People that I spoke to from different religious backgrounds and political positions had one thing to say in common about the current political and societal trajectory of Syria: "The future is unknown."

A stroll through the historic Souq al-Ḥamīdiyya in the old city of Damascus reveals that Syria has entered a new phase. Once filled with portraits of the deposed president Bashār al-Assad, political slogans, and posters in support of his regional allies, and red-white-and-black flags of the Syrian Arab Republic—today, the market is filled with souvenirs decorated with the new Syrian flag, flags of Saudi Arabia and other new allies of the Syrian state, and photos of various predominantly Sunni Muslim figures. Those include not only Syrian revolutionaries but also the likes of the late Iraqi president Ṣaddām Ḥusseīn, creating a paradox where photos of the deposed authoritarian ruler in the market have been replaced by photos of a deceased authoritarian ruler from another country. In addition, black and white flags commonly used by numerous Islamist fundamentalist movements, including the Taliban and various al-Qāʿida factions, are openly sold in parts of Damascus, raising questions about the political trajectory in the country and the future of its social cohesion. These fears were exacerbated by incidents of sectarian violence that happened in Syria throughout the course of 2025, including the Alawite massacres in the coastal regions of Syria in March, massacres of the Syrian Druze in April, a suicide bombing attack against Mar Eliās Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus on June 22nd, and clashes between the Druze and Bedouin communities in southern Syria in July. While the Syrian government vows protection for all of Syria's communities, its military units and affiliated militias are reported to have been involved in the massacres, raising questions about the reach of central state authority over various armed factions.

Interactions with residents of Damascus further reveal the complexities and dynamics of Syrian transition with all the changes it brings. Some people expressed optimism about post-Assad Syria, appealing to the fact that the country is opening up to the world and expressing hope that the lifting of sanctions and renewal of international ties will have a positive impact on the quality of life. A resident in Damascus described his perception of the quality of life in the country, saying that "it might be at zero now, but it was way below zero before." As armed members of the opposition factions reached Damascus and overthrew the previous regime, once unlikely scenes of Islamist factions' fighters patrolling the urban areas of central Damascus became reality after the fall of Assad. During one of my taxi rides, I noticed that the driver was completely unfamiliar with the city, only to find out that he is an ex-militant from Deīr al-Zūr who fought against the al-Assad government, left Syria for Turkey and Germany, rejoined the armed factions in the Idlib governorate where he got married, and recently moved to Damascus to make a living. An ex-militant showing his combat wounds while trying to navigate the city traffic and presenting his views on the complexities of the Syrian war in his newly found life routine symbolizes some of the complex and chaotic dynamics that Syrian society faces. Multiple people noted that in the months since the fall of al-Assad, political freedoms and freedom of expression in the country have increased, while the overall security situation has deteriorated with increased crime and inadequate law enforcement.

Meanwhile, some of the members of religious and ethnic minorities that I encountered expressed concerns and uneasiness about the future of Syrian society. Christians stressed that there is a huge tendency towards immigration out of Syria. A Christian community leader from Damascus noted that this is the case not only with Christians, but also Alawites and Druze. While the Shīʿa Muslim shrine of Sayyida Ruqayya in Damascus remains open for visitors, the surrounding area that used to openly sell Shīʿa flags, souvenirs, and pilgrim merchandise stood deserted and empty during my visit. Likewise, the Twelver Shīʿa pilgrimage site of Sayyida Zaynab near Damascus remains without pilgrims after the change of political regime in the country.

A visit to the Christian holy sites in the towns of Ṣaydnāyā and Maʿlūlā provided further insights into the diversity of Syrian society. Saydnāyā, located about 30 km north of Damascus, is one of the most important centers of Christian pilgrimage in Syria, known for its ancient monasteries and churches. The Monastery of Our Lady of Saydnāyā, considered to have been founded during the reign of Emperor Justinian in the sixth century, houses a revered icon of the Virgin Mary attributed to Saint Luke. The town’s numerous smaller monasteries and churches reflect its long-standing role as a hub for asceticism and devotion, with bell towers and churches dominating the city's skyline.

Notably, the infamous Saydnāyā prison, situated near the town, is one of Syria’s largest detention facilities and has been widely reported on for its harsh conditions, mass executions, and systematic torture. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have both documented large-scale atrocities committed by security services of the Assad government in the facility.

(A view of the ancient city of Maʿlūlā.)

Maʿlūlā, a town located about 25 km from Saydnāyā, is known for its unique religious and linguistic heritage. It is one of the few remaining places in the world where Aramaic—the language of Jesus Christ—is still spoken by the local community. The town contains a number of important Christian landmarks, including the Monastery of Saint Sergius and Bacchus and the Monastery of Saint Taqla. Historically, Maʿlūlā has symbolized Syria’s diverse religious and cultural fabric, but it suffered heavily during the Syrian Civil War. In September 2013, the town was captured by the al-Nuṣra Front (Jabhat al-Nuṣra), al-Qāʿida’s Syrian affiliate, alongside allied factions of the Free Syrian Army. During their control of the town, al-Nuṣra and other Salafi-jihadist elements were accused of committing abuses against the local Christian population, including kidnappings, forced conversions, and the desecration of churches and religious icons. Notably, twelve nuns from the Monastery of Saint Taqla that I had an opportunity to visit in 2021 and 2025 were abducted, with the incident receiving wide international condemnation. The recapture of Maʿlūlā in 2014 through an offensive by Syrian government forces and Hezbollah strengthened the narrative of protecting Christian holy sites and communities from jihadist groups, bolstering the Syrian government’s self-representation as a defender of religious minorities in the face of extremist threats.

A local Christian resident from Saydnāyā reflected on the complexities of intercommunal relations in the region during the war and in the aftermath of the fall of al-Assad. He reported deterioration of previously harmonious interreligious relations in the area around Maʿlūlā after the arrival of Salafi-jihadist groups, with rising anti-Christian sentiment and rhetoric from Muslim villages during that time and their population turning on their Christian neighbors. Interestingly, he stated that many residents of Muslim villages in the area speak and understand Aramaic. Reflecting on the new transitional government led by President Aḥmad al-Sharaʿ, previously known by his nom de guerre Abū Muḥammad Al Jūlānī of Hayʾat Taḥrīr al‑Shām, he stated that there have not been many changes in the region around Saydnāyā and Maʿlūlā compared to before, stressing that he has not seen "neither anything good nor anything bad from the new government." He reflected on the fact that many of the militants who constituted armed opposition but are now in charge of the country still cover their faces at road checkpoints, describing such a practice as nonsensical "now that they are the government."

Traveling north towards Aleppo (Ḥalab) through the city of Homs (Ḥimṣ) on the Damascus-Aleppo international highway that used to be the front line during the war offered another layer of insight into Syria’s deeply complex history and communal fabric. The road revealed a landscape still marked by war, with abandoned villages and industrial ruins standing alongside the highway. In sharp contrast to my earlier visits when movement between cities involved strict military oversight, the checkpoints on the route were relatively loose. Like Damascus, Aleppo carries a legacy of being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Under Ottoman rule, the city flourished as a key provincial center, its urban identity shaped by a strong Sunni mercantile class alongside vibrant Armenian, Christian, and Kurdish communities. This communal mosaic, which I have explored in conversations with Mor Boutros Kassis, the Syriac Orthodox Archbishop of Aleppo, and Father Antoine Freij of the Maronite Catholic Church gave Aleppo a distinctive character that endured into the modern era but was deeply scarred by the civil war.

In my interactions with local residents, I was reminded that, contrary to the common perception of widespread sectarianism in Syria, many Sunni Muslim families—who constitute a majority in the country—sought to remain uninvolved in the conflict and live their lives in peace without aligning themselves with any faction or armed group. The city endured some of the fiercest fighting over the course of the Syrian Civil War, leaving its UNESCO-listed old city badly damaged. The Citadel of Aleppo, currently under renovation but open to visitors with prior approval, remains the most imposing landmark of the city, while the Great Mosque of Aleppo—once nearly destroyed—is undergoing significant renovation, with artisans painstakingly restoring its minaret, courtyards, and prayer halls. The city’s resilience is all the more remarkable considering not only the devastation of the war but also the massive earthquake of February 6th 2023 that affected Turkey and northern Syria, causing further destruction in Aleppo and its countryside. Despite these tragedies, the city remains determined to recover. Notably, the rebel takeover of the city in December 2024—led by Hayʾat Taḥrīr al‑Shām and allied opposition factions—occurred with almost no resistance from government forces and aligned factions, sparing it from the kind of renewed large-scale destruction that many had feared and allowing key historical and cultural sites to survive relatively intact.

(The citadel in Aleppo. It was in use for many centuries before the Ayyūbid Muslims gave it its current shape in the 13th century.)

While these newsletters cannot paint a comprehensive picture of the extremely layered dynamics of intercommunal relations and political developments in Syria, we hope they provide a glimpse into a country undergoing a precarious political and societal transition. Furthermore, we hope and wish for the safety and prosperity of all Syrian people in an inclusive environment that promotes universal respect for human rights, accountability for human rights violations, and the dignity of every human being. In the final installment of our DAB Syria newsletter series, I will bring unique insights and field reports from the areas under the control of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, commonly known as Rojava, a de facto autonomous region in northeastern Syria with a strong Kurdish identity, exploring its governance model, intercommunal relations, and the challenges it faces in shaping a postwar future.

Luka Renić

Editor – Dialogue Across Borders

Intern Coordinator – Center for Arab-West Understanding

Dialogue Across Borders (Brill)

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July 28, 2025