The following is a list of notable people from Damascus , Syria.
Nizar Tawfiq Qabbani was a Syrian diplomat, poet, writer and publisher. He is considered to be Syria's National Poet. His poetic style combines simplicity and elegance in exploring themes of love, eroticism, religion, and Arab empowerment against foreign imperialism and local dictators. Qabbani is one of the most revered contemporary poets in the Arab world. His famous relatives include Abu Khalil Qabbani, Sabah Qabbani, Rana Kabbani, Yasmine Seale.
Shukri al-Quwatli was the first president of post-independence Syria, in 1943. He began his career as a dissident working towards the independence and unity of the Ottoman Empire's Arab territories and was consequently imprisoned and tortured for his activism. When the Kingdom of Syria was established, Quwatli became a government official, though he was disillusioned with monarchism and co-founded the republican Independence Party. Quwatli was immediately sentenced to death by the French who took control over Syria in 1920. Afterward, he based himself in Cairo where he served as the chief ambassador of the Syrian-Palestinian Congress, cultivating particularly strong ties with Saudi Arabia. He used these connections to help finance the Great Syrian Revolt (1925–1927). In 1930, the French authorities pardoned Quwatli and thereafter, he returned to Syria, where he gradually became a principal leader of the National Bloc. He was elected president of Syria in 1943 and oversaw the country's independence three years later.
Syria is a traditional society with a long cultural history. Importance is placed on family, religion, education and self-discipline and respect. The Syrian's taste for the traditional arts is expressed in dances such as the al-Samah, the Dabkeh in all their variations and the sword dance. Marriage ceremonies are occasions for the lively demonstration of folk customs.
Sadiq Jalal Al-Azm was a Professor Emeritus of Modern European Philosophy at the University of Damascus in Syria and was, until 2007, a visiting professor in the Department of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University. His main area of specialization was the work of German philosopher Immanuel Kant, but he later placed a greater emphasis upon the Islamic world and its relationship to the West, evidenced by his contribution to the discourse of Orientalism. Al-Azm was also known as a human rights advocate and a champion of intellectual freedom and free speech.
Syrian Turkmen are Syrian citizens of Turkish origin who mainly trace their roots to Anatolia. Turkish-speaking Syrian Turkmen make up the third largest ethnic group in the country, after the Arabs and Kurds respectively.
Sabah Qabbani was appointed ambassador of Syria to the United States by President Hafez Al-Asad in 1974. The post had been vacant since 1967 when diplomatic relations between Syria and the United States were severed following the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Prior to his posting in Washington, D.C. he was Syria’s envoy to Indonesia and Syria's consul in New York.
Taim Hasan is a prominent Syrian actor, known for his distinct dramatic roles in Syria and the Arab world. Hasan achieved fame in Syria through a number of highly acclaimed and extremely successful Syrian series most notably Saladin, Taifas and Nizar Qabbani. Taking on the title role in the Egyptian series King Farouk, Hassan's latest role has established him as one of the leading stars in the Arab world. He appeared perennially with Hatem Ali, one of Syria's leading directors, in a majority of his series such as The Philanderer Salem (2000), Saladin (2001), Taifas (2005) and King Farouk (2007), a role that earned him a best actor's award by Egyptian audiences and critics and earned him vast recognition and success and established him as one of the leading actors of his generation. He has also starred in The Waiting (2006). He is best known for his role as Abboud, a man who does not have a family, and he loved and cared for by the people of his new town.
Muna Wassef is a Syrian stage, film and television actress. She is also a United Nations Goodwill ambassador. She is an icon in the Arab world and the Middle East. Wassef is credited for acting alongside Salah Zulfikar at the prime of her career in Memory of a Night of Love (1973). Wassef had become the highest-paid actress in the Arab World since the end of the 1970s until the year 2000; now she is one of the highest-paid actresses. Wassef is the first Syrian woman to receive the Syrian Order of Civil Merit–Excellent Degree in 2009. Mona Wassef is most known internationally for starring in Al Hayba with Taim Hasan, streaming on Netflix.
Syrian literature is modern fiction written or orally performed in Arabic by writers from Syria since the independence of the Syrian Arab Republic in 1946. It is part of the historically and geographically wider Arabic literature. Literary works by Syrian authors in the historical region of Syria since the Umayyad era are considered general Arabic literature. In its historical development since the beginnings of compilations of the Quran in the 7th century and later written records, the Arabic language has been considered a geographically comprehensive, standardized written language due to the religious or literary works written in classical Arabic. This sometimes differs considerably from the individual regionally spoken variants, such as Syrian, Egyptian or Moroccan spoken forms of Arabic.
The old city of Damascus is the historic city centre of Damascus, Syria. The old city, which is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, contains numerous archaeological sites, including some historical churches and mosques. Many cultures have left their mark, especially Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Islamic. In 1979, the historical center of the city, surrounded by walls of Roman era, was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. In June 2013, UNESCO included all Syrian sites on the list of World Heritage in Danger to warn of the risks to which they are exposed because of the Syrian Civil War.
Izzat Traboulsi LL.M Ph.D.Econ, was a Syrian politician, economist, banker, and writer. He was the first governor of the Central Bank of Syria from 1956 to 1961 and served as Minister of Economy and Trade under the government of Head-of-State Nazim al-Qudsi and Syrian Prime Minister Khalid Al-Azm in 1962. His ideas and actions had an important influence on the Syrian financial institutions.
Al-Shaghour is a municipality and a neighborhood located in the old walled city of Damascus, Syria, south and east of the Old City, and east of al-Midan. Al-Shaghour is one of the oldest recorded neighborhoods in the city. The traditional neighborhood is divided into the part located within the Old City walls, known as Shaghour al-Juwani, and the much larger part located outside the walls. The latter part has become a municipality known as al-Shaghour.
Munir al-Ajlani was a Syrian politician, writer, lawyer, and scholar. He made history as the youngest Syrian minister. He received his doctorate at a very young age from La Sorbonne University in Paris.
Al-Azm family is a prominent Damascene family. Their political influence in Ottoman Syria began in the 18th century when members of the family administered Maarrat al-Nu'man and Hama. A scion of the family, Ismail Pasha al-Azm, was appointed wāli of Damascus Eyalet in 1725. Between 1725 and 1783, members of the family, including As'ad Pasha al-Azm, held power in Damascus for 47 years, in addition to periodical appointments in Sidon Eyalet, Tripoli Eyalet, Hama, Aleppo Eyalet, and Egypt Eyalet. The family's influence declined in the 19th century, failing to establish a true dynasty.
Muhsin al-Barazi was a Syrian lawyer, academic and politician. He served a short term as a 24th Prime Minister of Syria in 1949 and was executed after a coup d'état overthrew his government.
Khairy Alzahaby was a Syrian novelist, historian, columnist, and scenarist.
Nizar or Nazar or Nezar or Nezzar may refer to:
Rafīq Bey ibn Mahmūd al-ʿAzm was a Syrian intellectual, author, and politician. 'Azm served as the president of the Ottoman Party for Administrative Decentralization and was a key figure in the intellectual formation of Arabism.
Muhammad Atallah al-Kasm was one of the most important Islamic scholars in Damascus in the 20th century. He was the first Grand Mufti of Syria after its independence in 1918 from the Ottoman Empire and held that position until his death in 1938.