April 17: Syria Observes Evacuation Day
Prayer Idea
Pray for the people and government of Syria.
History Note
The city of Damascus in Syria is among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Its history dates back thousands of years. It was part of the ancient Assyrian Empire, which is where the modern name of “Syria” comes from.
Over the centuries, modern Syria has been part of other empires, including the Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Umayyad, and Ottoman. The country has many archaeological sites that provide glimpses of this rich history.
Syria came under French authority after World War I and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. The people of Syria resisted French control. The French government negotiated a treaty to recognize Syrian independence in 1936, but it never fully went into effect.
The last French soldiers finally left Syria on April 17, 1946. This date has been celebrated in Syria as Evacuation Day.
Hafez al-Assad came to power in 1970. Upon his death in 2000, his son Bashar al-Assad took his place. The Assad regime built up military power and exercised authoritarian control of the country. A civil war began in 2011 and persisted until Bashar al-Assad was finally deposed in 2024.
Syria has a population of about 24 million people. About half are Arabs and the rest are a mix of other ethnicities, including Kurds. About 87% of Syrians are Muslim, 10% are Christian, and 3% are Druze—a group that has mixed elements of Islam, Christianity, and other religions.
Millions of Syrians were displaced or forced to flee during the civil war, and now the country is attempting to establish a new government.
Syrians celebrate the fall of the Assad regime in January 2025. Photo by Mohammad Bash / Shutterstock.com.
Learn More
Syrians adopted 'Ḥumāt ad-Diyār' ('Guardians of the Homeland') as their national anthem in 1938. Khalil Mardam Bey (1895-1959) wrote the lyrics and Mohammed Flayfel (1899-1986) composed the music.
Explore more resources at Homeschool History.
