| Syria is the cradle of more than 30
different civilizations. It has more than 2000 historical
sites. We can find the traces left by the pre-historic
man, especially near the rivers.Because of its geographical
situation between three continents: Asia, Africa
and Europe, Syria suffered from many invasions and
occupations.
We can mention some of the civilizations that
were in Syria: Acadian,
Amorite, Babylonian, Assyrian and Islam…
Since the first days of mankind, many kingdoms
flourished in Syria: Ebla,
Mari, Ugarit, Palmyra, Aleppo, Damascus…..
Religions in Syria:
Since the very ancient history, Syria is
known for its great religious tolerance. A document
found in Dura Europos assures that at the beginning
of our era there were 14 temples, a synagogue
and a church.
St. Paul heard God’s voice on the way to Damascus,
in the walls of which a church is dedicated to
him. Hundreds of other churches and monasteries
were then built in Syria, the reputation of some
of them traveled through the centuries: St. Takla
and St. Sarkis monasteries in Maaloula, St. Sergio
cathedral in Rasafa, Qalb Lozeh church and St.
Simeon monastery near Aleppo and many others.
Upon the Islamic conquest, many mosques and Koranic
schools called Madrassa were built. Today, Syria
offers an example of inter-religious harmony which
has to be mentioned as an example.
The First State in the World:
On the Syrian and Mesopotamian land, the
Amorite kingdom is considered as the first state
in the history of humanity.
Syria is the cradle of arts, sciences and religions.
In its origins, we can find the most ancient frescos,
sculptures of cults or decoration, a great knowledge
in the fields of mathematics, philosophy and mythology.
All these contribute in the early development
of civilizations.
The First Alphabet:
In the history of the world, man wrote
the alphabet for the first time in Syria. It is
in Ugarit, known in Arabic as "Ras Shamra",
on the Syrian coast, that the genius of a scribe,
drew the first thirty letters on a small clay
tablet. This little invention dates back to the
XIVth century B.C. The tablet is exhibited at
the museum of Damascus.
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