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75-570: The governorate was historically part of the Alawite State , which existed from 1920 to 1936. Tartus governorate was formerly included as part of Latakia, before being split off circa 1972. The region has been relatively peaceful during the Syrian civil war , being a generally pro- Assad region that had largely remained under government control. The Free Syrian Army attacked Al-Haffah in 2012, and unsuccessfully attempted to wrest control of

150-568: A "Territory of the Alawis" was created in the coastal and mountain country, comprising Alawi villages; the French justified this separation by citing the "backwardness" of the mountain-dwellers, religiously distinct from the surrounding Sunni population. The division intended to protect the Alawi people from more-powerful majorities. After the relative independence of Faisal I's rule, French colonialism

225-565: A 1949 military coup). The Syrian army was dominated by recruits from Alawite, Druze and rural Kurdish Sunni communities, a holdover from the French Mandate Levant Army (which became the Syrian army after independence). Beginning after the 1949 coup, Alawites dominated the officer and governmental corps during the 1960s. Former president Hafez Asad and his son, Bashar (the current president), are of Alawite descent. As

300-492: A civil war, many Christians volunteered in various humanitarian organizations like the Syrian Civil Defence . Throughout the course of the civil war, members of Christian community and religious centres have been attacked, either by pro-Assad forces or militias affiliated with opposition groups. As of 2019, around 61% of churches damaged in the Syrian civil war has been targeted by pro- Ba'athist forces. Out of

375-708: A large portion of the population. To the west was the Eastern Mediterranean . The eastern border with Syria ran roughly along the An-Nusayriyah Mountains and the Orontes River from north to south. The modern Latakia and Tartus Governorates roughly encompass the Alawite State. Both have majority Alawite populations; parts of modern-day Al-Suqaylabiyah , Masyaf , Talkalakh and Jisr ash-Shugur Districts also belonged to

450-682: A result of the Syrian civil war , in 2012 there was speculation of the possibility of reprisals against the Alawites leading to the re-creation of the Alawite State as a haven for Bashar al-Assad and government leaders if Damascus fell. King Abdullah II of Jordan called it the "worst-case" scenario in the conflict, fearing a domino effect: fragmentation of the country along sectarian lines, with region-wide consequences. Christianity in Syria Christianity in Syria has among

525-485: A series of armed revolts by Islamists , mainly members of the Muslim Brotherhood, from 1976 until 1982. In 2023, the country was scored 2 out of 4 for religious freedom, with the government controlling the appointment of Muslim religious leaders, restricted proselytizing, a ban on conversion of Muslims and active terror threats. In the same year, the country was ranked as the 12th most difficult place in

600-524: A sizeable proportion of Christians, with some churches all over the city, but particularly in the district of Bab Touma (The Gate of Thomas in Aramaic and Arabic ). Masses are held every Sunday and civil servants are given Sunday mornings off to allow them to attend church, even though Sunday is a working day in Syria. Schools in Christian-dominated districts have Saturday and Sunday as

675-565: A small number of Syrians are members of Western rites. The schisms that brought about the many sects resulted from political and doctrinal disagreements. The doctrine most commonly at issue was the nature of Christ. In 431, the Nestorians were separated from the main body of the Church because of their belief in the dual character of Christ, i.e., that he had two distinct but inseparable " qnoma " ( ܩܢܘܡܐ , close in meaning to, but not exactly

750-461: A smaller theater off al-Moutanabbi Street. As per the 2004 Syrian census the population was 879,550. A 2011 UNOCHA estimate put the population at 1,008,000, though this has likely changed since the start of the war. The majority at 63% are Alawites , followed by 26% Sunni Muslim , 6% Christian , 5% Shi'ite Muslim and 0.2% Ismaili . The primary languages of the province are Arabic , Armenian and Turkish ( Syrian Turkmen dialects ). Arabic

825-610: A unified voice. This was attributed to the peasant status of most Alawites, "exploited by a predominantly Sunni landowning class resident in Latakia and Hama ". There was also a great deal of factionalism amongst the Alawite tribes, and the Alawite State was incorporated into Syria with little organised resistance. By 1939 the Nationalist Bloc party fell out of favour with the Syrian people because of its failure to increase

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900-788: Is Miaphysite (not monophysite, which is a mistaken term used or was used by the Chalcedonian Catholics and Chalcedonian Orthodox). Of the Eastern Catholic Churches the oldest is the Maronite , with ties to Rome dating at least from the twelfth century. Their status before then is unclear, some claiming it originally held to the Monothelite heresy up until 1215, while the Maronite Church claims it has always been in union with Rome. The liturgy

975-554: Is 1,562 meters (5,125 ft) tall with the average elevation only about 1,200 meters. The western areas of the governorate catch moisture-laden winds from the Mediterranean Sea and are thus more fertile and more heavily populated than the eastern slopes. The Orontes River flows north alongside the range on its eastern verge in the Al-Ghab Plain , a 64 kilometres (40 mi) longitudinal trench , and then around

1050-437: Is due to large-scale emigration of Christians to Europe triggered by deteriorating living conditions caused by the civil war . US State Department estimates that Syrian Christians comprise 2.5-3% of the total population inside Syria, as of 2022. The Christian population of Syria comprised 10% of the Syrian population before 2011. Estimates of the number of Christians in Syria in 2022 range from less than 2% to around 2.5% of

1125-565: Is in Aramaic (Syriac). The Patriarchate of Antioch never recognized the mutual excommunications of Rome and Constantinople of 1054, so it was canonically still in union with both. After a disputed patriarchal election in 1724, it divided into two groups, one in union with Rome and the other with Constantinople. The term "Melkite" is in use mostly in reference to the Melkite Greek Catholic Church . Like its sister-church

1200-474: Is located on the Mediterranean Sea , which gave it great economic importance, with the capital of the governorate, Latakia serving as Syria's main port. Its port was established on 12 February 1950. Its imported cargo includes clothing, construction materials, vehicles, furniture, minerals, tobacco, cotton, and food supplies such as lintels, onions, wheat, barley, dates, grains and figs; in 2008,

1275-563: Is spoken in all district centres of the governorate and most, if not all towns and villages surrounding them, with the North Levantine dialect mostly used. An exception is Kessab , a historically Armenian-populated town where Armenian is the primary language in it and the surrounding villages such as Sev Aghpyur, Esguran and Duzaghaj, and the Turkmen Mountain where Turcoman is spoken primarily, though many Turkmen have fled

1350-803: Is the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch , closely followed by the Maronite Church and the Assyrian Church of the East . There is a small minority of Protestants in the country. In the late Ottoman rule, a large percentage of Syrian Christians emigrated from Syria, especially after the bloody chain of events that targeted Christians in particular in 1840, the 1860 massacre , and the Assyrian genocide . According to historian Philip Hitti , approximately 90,000 Syrians arrived in

1425-578: Is the largest Oriental Orthodox Christian group in Syria. The Syriac Orthodox or Jacobite Church, whose liturgy is in Syriac , was severed from the favored church of the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Orthodoxy), over the Chalcedonian controversy. The Armenian Apostolic Church is the second largest Oriental Orthodox Christian group in Syria. It uses an Armenian liturgy and its doctrine

1500-508: Is the regional capital; other major settlements include Al-Haffah , Ibn Hani, Jableh , Kessab , Manjila, Qaranjah, Qardaha and Salma . The following cities are the administrative centres of the districts in Latakia Governorate (Population based on 2004 official census): The governorate is divided into four districts ( manatiq ). The districts are further divided into 22 sub-districts ( nawahi ): The governorate

1575-602: The 2015 al-Qamishli bombings and the July 2016 Qamishli bombings . In January 2016, YPG militias conducted a surprise attack on Assyrian checkpoints in Qamishli, in a predominantly Assyrian area, killing one Assyrian and wounding three others. More than 120 churches and Christian places of worship have been destroyed since the Syrian civil war began in 2011. In November 2021, the Armenian Catholic Church of

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1650-722: The Arab Kingdom of Syria under King Faisal I on 7 March 1920. The Arab Kingdom of Syria was initially supported by the British , despite French protests. The British withdrew support, and on 5 May 1920 the Allied Supreme Council published a Mandate for "Syria and the Lebanon " to the French Republic , with French and Arabic as the official languages. General Gouraud was appointed high commissioner of

1725-637: The Eastern communions , which have existed in Syria since the earliest days of Christianity when all Christians were part of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. The main Eastern groups are: Even though each group forms a separate community, Christians nevertheless cooperate increasingly. Roman Rite, Western Latin Church Catholicism and Protestantism were introduced by missionaries but only

1800-675: The Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch ('Eastern Orthodox'), the Melkite Catholics both Greek and Arabic in its form of the liturgy . Most of the 375,000 Catholics in Syria belong to the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, the rest are members of the Latin Church, Maronites (52,000), Armenian or Syriac Rites. Seven popes from Syria ascended the papal throne. Many of them lived in Italy . Pope Gregory III ,

1875-634: The Hatay Province of Southern Turkey (bordering Northern Syria), and have been well represented within the Syrian diasporas of Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, the United States, Canada and Australia. Traditional Christianity in Syria is also represented by Oriental Orthodox communities, that primarily belong to the ancient Syriac Orthodox Church , and also to the Armenian Apostolic Church . The Syriac Orthodox Church

1950-502: The Politics of Syria . Many Syrian Christians are public sector and private sector managers and directors, while some are local administrators, members of Parliament, and ministers in the government. A number of Syrian Christians are also officers in the armed forces of Syria. They have preferred to mix in with Muslims rather than form all-Christian units and brigades, and fought alongside their Muslim compatriots against Israeli forces in

2025-484: The President of Syria has to be a Muslim; this was as a result of popular demand at the time the constitution was written. However, Syria does not profess a state religion. On 31 January 1973, Hafez al-Assad implemented the new constitution (after reaching power through a military coup in 1970), which led to a national crisis. Unlike previous constitutions, this one did not require that the president of Syria to be of

2100-790: The Syrian military for launching indiscriminate attacks of Syrian cities and civilian areas; blaming the Ba'athist government for triggering the emigration of a third of Syrian Christians. A week after issuing the statement, the Archbishop got abducted and has remained forcibly disappeared , allegedly on the orders of the Assad regime. Ba'athist regime has also passed a discriminatory military conscription law which enables government authorities to seize properties of Syrians and their families accused of draft evasion . The law disproportionately targets Sunni and Christian families across Syria, who constitute

2175-577: The Territory of the Alawites ( French : territoire des Alaouites ), after the locally-dominant Alawites from its inception until its integration to the Syrian Federation in 1922, was a French mandate territory on the coast of present-day Syria after World War I . The French Mandate from the League of Nations lasted from 1920 to 1946. The use of "Alawite", instead of "Nusayri",

2250-670: The Third Republic in June 1940 and the French surrender to the Axis powers , Vichy France controlled Syria until Britain and Free France seized the country (and Lebanon) in July 1941. In 1942, the Latakia and Druze regions were returned to Syrian control. By the end of the war, Arab nationalists in Syria were ready to make another play for power. The French left Syria in 1946 and the new, independent government lasted for three years (until

2325-615: The pre-war Syrian population but now makes up less than 2%, falling from 1.5 million in 2011 to just 300,000 in 2022 due to widespread persecution by Islamic terrorists and the impact of the Syrian Civil War . Christians in Syria have also been subjected to violence and discrimination by Islamic State fighters during their control of large areas of the country. Their churches have been converted into military headquarters, and their property confiscated. Persecution of Christians in Syria has further intensified since. In Aleppo ,

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2400-589: The 124 documented incidents of violence against Christian religious centres between 2011 and 2019; 75 attacks were perpetrated by militant forces loyal to the Assad regime and 33 by various factions of the opposition . Various human rights organizations have criticized the regime for deliberately launching large-scale attacks on Christian churches and arresting Christian citizens. In April 2013, Yohanna Ibrahim , Archbishop of Syrian Orthodox Church in Aleppo, condemned

2475-507: The 26 October elections). The Alawite State, insulated from nationalist tendencies, elected 10 pro-French representatives to its 12-person council after a 77-percent voter turnout in the primary elections. Such numbers were not seen in the nationalist Damascus and Aleppo . The Alawi preferred to be grouped with the territories of Lebanon, in contrast to Sunnis and Christians populations demanding Syrian unity. The majority of French support in these first elections came from rural populations, whom

2550-550: The Alawi people were uninterested in the Great Revolt: The Alawite State was run by a succession of French governors from 1920 to 1936: The Sunni landowners, primarily living in the province's cities, were supporters of Syrian unity; however, the French were supported by the rural Alawite communities to whom they catered. In 1930 the Alawite State was renamed as the Government of Latakia,

2625-719: The Catholic Church. Today called the Eastern Catholic churches, they retain a distinctive language, canon law and liturgy. The largest Christian denomination in Syria is the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch (officially named the Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East), also known as the Melkite church after the 5th and 6th century Christian schisms, in which its clergy remained loyal to

2700-717: The Eastern Roman Emperor (" melek ") of Constantinople . Adherents of that denomination generally call themselves " Rūm " which means "Eastern Romans" or "Asian Greeks" in Arabic . In that particular context, the term "Rūm" is used in preference to " Yūnāniyyūn " which means "European Greeks " or Ionians in Classical Arabic . The appellation "Greek" refers to the Koine Greek liturgy used in their traditional prayers and priestly rites. Members of

2775-448: The French administration instituted an elected government made up of councils of representative of the states of Aleppo , Damascus and the Alawite territory. In June 1923 the French administration, headed by General Maxime Weygand , allowed individual states to elect their own representative councils. The primary election, a contest between French officials and the nationalists, was considered fraudulent by Syrians (many of whom boycotted

2850-695: The French had primarily benefited. On 1 January 1925, the State of Syria was born from a French merger of the States of Damascus and Aleppo. Lebanon and the Alawi State were not included. Perhaps inspired by the Turkish War of Independence (1919–1921), the Great Syrian Revolt began in the countryside of Jabal al-Druze . Led by Sultan al-Atrash as a Druze uprising, the movement

2925-620: The Great Revolt. The French had favoured religious minorities such as the Druze and the Alawi, attempting to isolate them from mainstream nationalist culture. Many young men from rural Alawi communities joined the French troops, enlisting in the troupes speciales (part of the French forces in Syria at the time) for social advancement. These troops, regional forces recruited from minority populations, were often used to suppress civil disorders. Itamar Rabinovich proposed three reasons why

3000-672: The Islamic faith, leading to fierce demonstrations in Hama , Homs and Aleppo organized by the Muslim Brotherhood and the ulama . They labeled Assad as the "enemy of Allah" and called for a jihad against his rule. Robert D. Kaplan has compared Assad's coming to power to "a Jew becoming tsar in Russia - an unprecedented development shocking to the Sunni majority population which had monopolized power for so many centuries." The government survived

3075-462: The Logos took on an instance of humanity as His own in one nature. They were the precursors of the present-day Syrian and Armenian Orthodox churches. By the thirteenth century, breaks had developed between Eastern or Greek Christianity and Western or Latin Christianity. In the following centuries, however, especially during the Crusades, some of the Eastern churches professed the authority of the pope in Rome and entered into or re-affirmed communion with

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3150-429: The Martyrs in Raqqa's city center was rebuilt by the aid group called the Free Burma Rangers. Following a visit to Syria, to participante in a conference that brought together representatives of the Syrian churches and NGOs working with them in the country, Regina Lynch, project director for Aid to the Church in Need , described the difficult situation the local communities endure, but added that "for many Christians,

3225-444: The Syrian territories and commander-in-chief of French forces. The population of Lebanon was pro-French; that of Syria was anti-French, with a pan-Arab nationalistic bent . The French insisted that the Mandate was not "inconsistent" with Syrian self-government; Syrians were forced to accept the mandate when King Faisal left the country (under pressure from France) in July 1920, after Great Britain withdrew support for his rule in

3300-496: The United States between 1899 and 1919 (more than 90% of them Christians). The Syrians referred include historical Syria or the Levant encompassing Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine. Syrian Christians tend to be relatively wealthy and highly educated . According to the Catholic charity group Aid to the Church (ACN), number of Christians residing in Syria is estimated to have reduced from 2.1 million (10% of population) in 2011 to around 300,000 (less than 2%) in 2022. The decrease

3375-402: The area since the start of the civil war. [REDACTED] Media related to Latakia Governorate at Wikimedia Commons Alawite State 35°31′27″N 35°46′58″E  /  35.524212°N 35.782646°E  / 35.524212; 35.782646 The Alawite State ( Arabic : دولة جبل العلويين , Dawlat Jabal al-‘Alawiyyīn ; French : État des Alaouites ), initially named

3450-408: The autonomy of the Syrian government from French influence. Prime Minister Jamil Mardam resigned at the end of 1938; the French filled the power vacuum, dissolving Parliament, suppressing Syrian nationalism and increasing the autonomy of the French-supporting Alawite and Druze territories (thwarting Syrian unification). World War II established a strong British presence in Syria. After the fall of

3525-455: The centuries, Syrian Christians have played a vital role in shaping Christian thought and practice, contributing to the development of various liturgical traditions, monastic movements, and theological schools. St. Paul the Apostle famously converted to Christianity on the road to Damascus , and Syria has produced three Popes : Pope Anicetus (157–168 AD), Pope Sergius I (687-701), and Pope Gregory III (731–741 AD). Their legacy includes

3600-429: The city of Homs . Assyrian Democratic Organization (ADO), an Assyrian opposition group affiliated with the Syrian National Revolutionary Coalition (SNRC), estimated that approximately two-thirds of Syrian Christians had left the country by 2021. The estimate was also verified by other Christian organizations in Syria. During the Syrian civil war, several attacks by ISIS have targeted Syrian Christians, including

3675-399: The city, at Cote d'Azur. The latter hotel has 274 rooms and is the only international hotel in the city. Latakia is also host to numerous designer-label stores, notably on 8 Azar Street, and the heart of the city's shopping area is the series of blocks enclosed by 8 Azar Street, Yarmouk Street, and Saad Zaghloul Street in the city centre. Cinemas in Latakia include Ugarit Cinema, al-Kindi, and

3750-399: The community sometimes also call themselves "Melkites", which literally means "supporters of the emperor" in Semitic languages - a reference to their past allegiance to Roman and Byzantine imperial rule. But, in the modern era, this designation tends to be more commonly used by followers of the local Melkite Catholic Church . Syrians from the Greek Orthodox Community are also present in

3825-541: The country's second largest city, the proportion of Christian residents fell from 12% pre-war to 1.4% in 2023 with more than 20 churches damaged during the war. The city of Idlib has been almost entirely depopulated of its Christian population under Islamist rule . Some governments and organisations including the United States have claimed that the persecution of Christians in the Middle East and North Africa , especially in Syria and Iraq , constitute an act of genocide . The country's largest Christian denomination

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3900-461: The departure of many Christians from the country amidst the Syrian civil war . In the first five years after the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, at least half of Syria's Christians had left the country, but as the situation began to stabilize in 2017 following recent army gains, return of electricity and water to many areas and stability returning to many government controlled regions, some Christians began returning to Syria, most notably in

3975-452: The establishment of some of the most ancient churches, monasteries, and pilgrimage sites, such as the 5th century remains of the Church of Saint Simeon Stylites , Our Lady of Saidnaya Monastery , and the Cathedral of Constantine and Helen. However, in recent times, the Syrian Christian community has faced numerous challenges, including ongoing and severe persecution , displacement , and emigration . Christians in Syria made up about 10% of

4050-436: The face of French claims. At the time, the French rejected native outcry for the unification of Syria. In early September 1920, the French divided the territories of their mandate based on heterogeneous population to grant local autonomy to demographic regions. Some argue that the French acted to intentionally divide the population, limiting the spread of "the urban contagion of nationalist agitation". On 2 September 1920

4125-479: The first regions to receive Christianity during the ministry of St Peter . There were more Christians in Damascus than anywhere else. With the military expansion of the Islamic Umayyad empire into Syria and Anatolia , non-Muslims who retained their native faiths were required to pay a tax ( jizya ) equivalent to the Islamic Zakat , and were permitted to own land; they were, however, not eligible for Islamic social welfare as Muslims were. Damascus still contains

4200-398: The northern edge of the range to flow into the Mediterranean. Another important river is Nahr al-Kabir al-Shamali , a river running from the Turkish border and to the southwest to flow in the Mediterranean, with the 16 Tishreen dam, one of the most important in the region, being constructed for power generation, storage of rain and river water, and the creation of Mashqita Lake . Latakia

4275-453: The oldest Christian communities on Earth, dating back to the first century AD , and has been described as a "cradle of Christianity". With its roots in the traditions of St. Paul the Apostle and St. Peter the Apostle , Syria quickly became a major center of early Christianity and produced many significant theologians and church leaders. Of the 325 bishops who took part in the First Council of Nicea in 325 AD, twenty were from Syria. Over

4350-420: The only concession by the French to Arab nationalists until 1936. On 3 December 1936 (becoming effective in 1937), the Alawite state was incorporated into Syrian Republic as a concession by the French to the Nationalist Bloc (the ruling party of the semi-autonomous Syrian government). There was a great deal of Alawite separatist sentiment in the region, but their political views could not be coordinated into

4425-401: The population of the port city of Latakia were Sunni Muslim . About 12 percent were Shia Kurds from the Feyli tribe who had migrated from Ottoman Iraq . More than 90 percent of the province's population was rural, and 82 percent were Alawites . The Alawite State bordered Greater Lebanon on the south; the northern border was with the Sanjak of Alexandretta , where Alawites made up

4500-429: The port handled about 8 million tons of cargo. The governorate is also a popular domestic tourist destination, with the Cote d'Azur B=beach of Latakia being Syria's premier coastal resort, offering water skiing, jet skiing, and windsurfing. The city contains eight hotels, two of which have five-star ratings; both the Cote d'Azur de Cham Hotel and Lé Meridien Lattiquie Hotel are located 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) north of

4575-454: The province in 2014 , 2015 and 2016 . In 2016 the Islamic State conducted a bomb attack on Jableh, resulting in many deaths. The Latakia Governorate comprises about half of Syria's Mediterranean coastline. The western part of the governorate consists mainly of coastal plains, with the inland eastern parts being mountainous, with the Syrian Coastal Mountain Range (Nusayriyah Mountains) running north to south. Its highest peak, Nabi Yunis,

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4650-433: The same as, hypostasis ), the human Jesus and the divine Logos. Therefore, according to Nestorian belief, Mary was not the mother of God but only of the man Jesus . The Council of Chalcedon , representing the mainstream of Christianity, in 451 confirmed the dual nature of Christ in one person; Mary was therefore the mother of a single person, mystically and simultaneously both human and divine. The Miaphysites taught that

4725-407: The same study Christian of Druze background (Druze converts to Christianity ) still regard themselves as Druze , and they claims that there is no contradiction between being Druze and being Christian . The number of Christians in Syria has been disputed for many decades. There has been no official census on religion in Syria since the 1960s. Christianity in Syria 1956 Damascus was one of

4800-415: The state. The defeat and collapse of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I , with the Armistice of Mudros signed on 30 October 1918, brought on a scramble for control of the disintegrating empire's provinces. As of 1918, France occupied Lebanon and Syria , which was under the leadership of the Emir Faisal I . By 1920, a growing anti-French sentiment in the region led to the establishment of

4875-450: The total Syrian population. Most Syrians are members of either the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch (700,000), or the Syriac Orthodox Church . The vast majority of Catholics belong to the Melkite Greek Catholic Church . Other Eastern Catholic churches include the Maronite Church , Syriac Catholic Church , Armenian Catholic Church , Chaldean Catholic Church ; there is also a small number of Latin Church Catholics. The rest belong to

4950-405: The various Arab–Israeli conflicts of the 20th century. In addition to their daily work, Syrian Christians also participate in volunteer activities in the less developed areas of Syria. As a result, Syrian Christians are generally viewed by other Syrians as an asset to the larger community. In September 2017, the deputy Hammouda Sabbagh , a Syriac Orthodox Christian and member of the Ba'ath Party ,

5025-438: The vast majority of the Syrian refugee population. According to various reports, the total population of Syrian Christians residing in Syria has been reduced from 1.5 million before 2011 to around 300,000 as of 2022 (less than 2% of population). Rather than the persecution by IS during 2014-17, the decline has been mainly due to large-scale emigration of native Christians due to subsequent deterioration of living conditions in

5100-418: The war has had a positive effect on the faith, and, in spite of everything, it has been an opportunity for the Church to put its teaching on charity and forgiveness into action". Prominent Christian figures have been involved in revolutionary activities of the Syrian opposition ; through peaceful demonstrations as well as armed resistance . After the deadly clampdown launched by Assad regime deteriorated into

5175-476: The weekend, while the official Syrian weekend falls on Friday and Saturday. Christians engage in every aspect of Syrian life and Syrian Christians are relatively wealthy and more highly educated than other Syrian religious groups. Following in the traditions of Paul , who practiced his preaching and ministry in the marketplace , Syrian Christians are participants in the economy, the academic, scientific, engineering, arts, and intellectual life, entertainment, and

5250-455: The world to be a Christian. Christians spread throughout Syria and have sizable populations in some cities/areas; important cities/areas are: Syrian Christians, in line with their fellow citizens, have been badly affected by the Syrian Civil War . According to Syrian law, all Syrian men of adult age with brothers are eligible for military conscription , including Christians. Christian population in Syria has significantly diminished due to

5325-403: Was adopted by a group of Syrian nationalists led by Abd al-Rahman Shahbandar and spread to the states of Aleppo and Damascus. Lasting from July 1925 to June 1927, it was an anti-French, anti-imperialist response to five years of French rule; to the Druze it was not a movement toward Syrian unity, but simply a protest against French rule. The rural Alawite territory was largely uninvolved in

5400-654: Was advocated by the French early in the Mandate period and referred to a member of the Alawite faith . In 1920, the French-named "Alawite Territory" was home to a large population of Alawites. The region is coastal and mountainous, home to a predominantly-rural, heterogeneous population. During the French Mandate period, the society was divided by religion and geography; the landowning families and 80 percent of

5475-458: Was elected speaker of parliament with 193 votes out of 252. Syrian Christians are more urbanized than Muslims; many live either in or around Damascus , Aleppo , Homs , Hama , or Latakia . In the 18th century, Christians were relatively wealthier than Muslims in Aleppo. Syrian Christians have their own courts that deal with civil cases like marriage, divorce and inheritance based on Bible teachings. The Constitution of Syria states that

5550-828: Was the last pope born outside Europe before Francis (elected in 2013). In Syria, there is also a minority of Protestants . Protestantism was introduced by European missionaries and a small number of Syrians are members of Protestant denominations. The Gustav-Adolf-Werk (GAW) as the Protestant Church in Germany Diaspora agency actively supports persecuted Protestant Christians in Syria with aid projects. A 2015 study estimates some 2,000 Muslim converted to Christianity in Syria, most of them belonging to some form of Protestantism. By one estimate made by Elisabe Granli from University of Oslo , around 1,920 Syrian Druze converted to Christianity , according to

5625-706: Was unwelcome. The divisions were thought to serve the interests of a Christian minority over a Muslim majority, favouring colonial rule and stifling dissent. Salih al-Ali led the Syrian Revolt of 1919 in the Alawi region east of the coastal city of Latakia . Al-Ali was primarily interested in protecting Alawite regions from external meddling. His rebellions were not motivated by nationalist movement; however, they identified with it to further Alawite autonomy. The rebels surrendered to French forces after two years of raiding French outposts in October 1921. In 1922,

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