SYRIA: A MILLION-YEAR CULTURE By Dr. Ali al-Qayyem Translated by: M. Allam Khoudr SYRIA: A MILLION-YEAR CULTURE Preface Syria: A Million-Year Culture Syrian Antiquities Antiquities & Museums Cultural Centers Cultural Directorates Theater Plastic Arts Culture Palace – Mahaba Festival Cinema Syria, its Civilizational and Cultural Achievements By Dr. Riadh Na'san Agha Minister of Culture Located between the Mediterranean, Mesopotamia, Asia Minor and the Arabian Peninsula, Syria has been since prehistoric times a natural and advanced civilizational, cultural, intellectual and artistic junction for these regions. Syria has, therefore, become a bridge and a meeting point for the most important of world thoughts, creativities and ingenuities, illuminating regions of the Ancient Orient with the glamour of its indigenous development and strongly and actively influencing the course of their civilizations. Throughout history Syria has fully realized its civilizational, intellectual and cultural mission, which reflects the most outstanding development of its civilization and turns its heritage into a multifarious and multifaceted human heritage, marked by openness, tolerance, marriage of thoughts and exchange of knowledge, sciences and cultures. Syria has long been a scene for development of inventions and human settlement along the banks of its big rivers, including the North Great River, the Orontes Basin, the Euphrates and Khabur Rivers as well as the Syrian steppe. Not only did the "Acheulean" culture emerge in Syria, but also agriculture, domestication of animals, prototype of roundhouses and villages were first born. It is here, in Syria, where civilization first evolved and people began trading agricultural products, developing pottery, shaping metals and producing bronze. Syria witnessed the beginnings of the earliest worship and religious beliefs which sanctified the ancestor worship and granted women top status in society. Syria was the land of the earliest inception of greater cities in Mari (Tel Hariri), Ebla (Tel Merdisk), Ugarit (Ras Shamra), Maskana (Imar - Balis), Tel Leilan, Tel Ashara, Tel Brak in the 3rd and 2nd millenniums BC. It is also here where Aramaic kingdoms appeared and developed into a rich source for human civilization with their trade, intellectual and human activities over a thousand-odd years. The prominently well-established Aramaic kingdoms, including Damascus, Hama, Homs, Aleppo, Sham'al, Ein Dara, Beit Eddini, etc., became brilliant beacons of inspiration, science, knowledge and advanced economic and trade activity. Syrian cities in the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Islamic eras created a wide and fabulous variety of urbanization and economic, social, cultural, intellectual and religious activities. Syria’s civilization has been an inexhaustible and never-ending source of refined knowledge for human civilization and human achievements over the centuries, reflecting the nation's tremendous contributions to humanity throughout history in the diverse areas of sciences, literature, philosophy, trade and industry. We, in Syria, have been always engaged in a permanent dialogue with history, civilization and human action. Our land abounds in precious antiquities and evidence of the civilizational prosperity witnessed over the centuries, making the country's unique archeological sites a mecca for tourists, visitors, scholars, historians and enthusiasts of art, civilization and cultural tourism. Syria has offered much to the Arab Islamic culture being the cornerstone in building up the edifice of human civilization with all its implications and diverse aspects. Since time began, the Syrian culture has generously bestowed on us a wealth of splendid boons and we are blessed to relish its fruits and enjoy the magnificence of its arts. Man in Syria had long sailed aboard the dream boat in an endeavor to work out his own inventions, marvelous literature, culture, sciences and arts, where Syria became a land governed by dialogue and tolerance as well as cultural, intellectual and commercial amalgamation represented in a unique civilization and opulent treasure of archeological and historical monuments still standing today as a living example to recount the story of civilization, history, art and mankind since time began. The age-old journey of generosity and development is carried further today to cover the various cultural domains, including theaters, cultural and music centers, books, antiquities, museums, cinema industry, protection of material and nonmaterial heritage, festivals, symposiums, conferences, cultural weeks and tributes to scientists, men of letters, think-tanks, intellectuals and artists. The progress achieved today evidently comes in line with Syria's historically deep- rooted civilizational message. Readers of this comprehensive and educational reference book will find it a rich cultural material carefully and deftly penned by Deputy Minister of Culture, Mr. Ali al-Qayyem, an intellectual, scholar and archeologist. This valuable work covers the cultural, civilizational, intellectual and artistic life in Syria over the past million years up to the present day. Dedicating himself to investigate and research the country's history and civilization, which flourishingly burgeoned on our treasured land, the author's creative works abound with love, devotion and enthusiasm to introduce a wonderful review of the cultural origins and generous contributions, which have altogether formed a flurry of cultural activity based on the perception of building up the country and its people intellectually, culturally, socially and economically. In this informative book, the author has concisely recorded the human, civilizational and cultural experience in Syria, depicting all its aspects and sublime objectives. Historically correlated, this experience remains consistently active under the guidance of His Excellency President Bashar al-Assad who is fully aware that the progress we have achieved in the course of civilization, science and culture, will certainly help us reach our end goal. Our culture and heritage are like a vast sea that we can hardly behold its shoreline, and this reference book explores the depths of this sea and introduces us to its hidden treasures in a simplified, modern and attractive method. Syrian Arab Republic Ministry of Culture SYRIA: A MILLION-YEAR CULTURE • Syria: A Million-Year Culture • Early Urban Civilization in Northern Syria • Damascus: The Oldest Continuously Inhabited City throughout History Syria: A Million-Year Culture By Dr. Ali al-Qayyem Syria: A Million-Year Culture Syria is the world’s richest resource of archeological sites and historical monuments of time immemorial. With a million-year-old civilization deep- rooted in its history, Syria’s land is an opulent treasure of antiquities extending from pre-history to Arab Islamic eras. Archeological sites and historical monuments recorded in Syria count as many as 42.000. This figure, which is continuously growing, throws more light on Syria’s invaluable treasure of culture and architecture. Excavations in Syria over the past few years have attracted world’s attention in view of the great historical significance attached to the rare findings unearthed in the country, prompting many scholars and historians to reconsider their writings and re-evaluate their knowledge and learning about this country. Syria is now viewed as the cradle of civilization and the maker of early cultures, arts and everlasting human civilization. Syria, in the eye of the world, is the land where science and knowledge first developed, just like Mesopotamia and the Nile. A Million-Year Civilization Archeological excavations in several sites showed that they date back to prehistory where ancient man in Syria had left behind remains of his tools and works of art. The sites holding the historical hidden treasures are distributed across the country particularly in the major river basins and the steppe, demonstrating complete civilization models uninterruptedly covering the stone ages. This continuity enables us to trace back the different circles of the early origin of pre-historic man. The antiquities were discovered in sites like Sit Mirkhu, Rudhu, Abrash River, Shir, Bikassa, Tel al-Kom, Tel Ahmar, Ugarit, Sukass, Tel Mreibit, Tel Biqris, Jarf al-Ajala, Yabroud, Tel Halaf, Tel Brak, Hama, al-Latamina, Effrin, and many other sites. Archeological and anthropological research and study conducted for the abovementioned sites and elsewhere have provided the required evidence for tracing early civilizations with precise details uncommon in other parts of the world. These discoveries have made it imperative to make Syria the starting point to uncover mysteries of prehistoric times. Excavations in the basin of the Great Northern River (the far riverbed) near the village of “Sit Merkho” in Lattakia have given the evidence that man’s settlement in this area dates back to one million years. A million-year-old complete archeological composition was found in the site, in addition to flint tools representing all prehistoric ages. A corresponding site (al-Khattab site) is also available at central Orontes Basin. These two sites with their opulent antiquities contain the most ancient finds of prehistoric man in the world outside Africa. Syria: a Million-Year Culture Excavations at the Latamna site near the city of Hama uncovered one of the earliest camps of hunters in the ancient world dating back to half a million years. It is one of four similar sites