CNN’s Fareed Zakaria explores what Syria’s stunning fall to rebels says about Russia, one of the Assad regime’s most powerful backers.
Here’s a short history of Syria with links for further reading:
Ancient History
- Syria has been inhabited for millennia, with evidence of civilizations dating back to the Paleolithic era.
- Important ancient cities like Ebla and Mari flourished during the Bronze Age.
- The region was part of various empires, including the Egyptian, Hittite, Assyrian, and Babylonian empires.
- In the Hellenistic period, Syria was part of the Seleucid Empire before becoming part of the Roman Empire.
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Islamic Period
- In the 7th century, Syria came under Islamic rule.
- Damascus became the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate, a major Islamic empire.
- Later, Syria was ruled by various dynasties, including the Abbasids, Ayyubids, and Mamluks.
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Ottoman Rule
- In the 16th century, Syria became part of the Ottoman Empire for about 400 years.
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French Mandate and Independence
- After World War I, the Ottoman Empire was divided, and Syria came under French mandate.
- Syria gained independence in 1946.
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Modern Syria
- Syria experienced political instability and a series of coups after independence.
- The Ba’ath Party rose to power in the 1960s.
- Hafez al-Assad became president in 1971 and ruled until his death in 2000, succeeded by his son Bashar al-Assad.
- The ongoing Syrian Civil War began in 2011.
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