Syria

The full name of Syria is the Syrian Arab Republic. Syria is a state in the Middle East, bordering Lebanon and Israel in the southwest, Jordan in the south, Iraq in the east and Turkey in the north and the Mediterranean Sea in the west. The modern statehood of Syria is a little over 70 years old, but civilization originated here as early as the 4th millennium BC. e. The capital is Damascus, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. In addition, Damascus is also the oldest of all modern capitals in the world. As one of the oldest states in the world, Syria was the cradle of many civilizations and cultures. Syria was the birthplace of the Ugaritic cuneiform and one of the first forms of writing, Phoenician (14th century BC).

Syrian cuisine, which has a very important place in world cuisines, has a history of 10 thousand years. It is considered one of the oldest and authentic cuisines of the Arab world. Due to the fact that Syria was under the control of the Ottoman Empire and the French Mandate in the past, Syrian cuisine has been influenced by both global and neighbouring countries' cuisines. Syria has many delicious dishes, the most popular of which are Maqlooba, Falafel and Shish Barak dishes.       

Activity 1: Read the text and answer the questions: 

1. What is the full name of Syria?

2. Which countries and sea borders does Syria have?

3. What is the capital city of Syria?

4. Which capital city is the oldest of all modern capitals in the world?

5. Which of the first forms of writing originated in Syria?

6. What are the most popular dishes in Syria?

Activity 2. Match the words with the correct definitions:

(choose 5 words from the text you wrote above)

1. border 

2. inhabit

3. culture

4. cuisine 

5. neighbouring 

a. the line or frontier area separating political or geographical regions.

b. all material and spiritual values that are unique to societies, created in the process of historical and social development

c. (of a person, animal, or group) live in, reside in, or occupy (a place or environment)

d. a style or method of cooking, especially as characteristic of a particular country or region

e. situated or living near

Activity 3: Further reading - Go online and find interesting things about Syria in order to answer these questions:

Trivia questions about Syria: 

1. How many governorates (subdivisions) does Syria consist of?

2. Which ethnic and religious groups does Syria host?

3. What is the official language of Syria?

4. Which ancient kingdoms and empires ruled in Syria?

5. Which is the most important river that crosses the country in the east of Syria?

6. What is Syria's leading natural resource and main export product?

7. What are the largest cities in Syria?

8. What is the main religion in Syria?

9. What are the most popular sports in Syria?

10. Who were the famous writers of Syria?