The History of Syria: One of the Oldest Civilizations on Earth

The History of Syria: One of the Oldest Civilizations on Earth podcast cover
Fexingo History · Middle East

The History of Syria: One of the Oldest Civilizations on Earth

From the ancient city-states of Ebla and Mari to the war-torn present, Syria's history is a tapestry of human civilization spanning over ten millennia. Lucas and Luna guide you through the rise and fall of empires that fought for this fertile crescent: the Akkadians, Amorites, Hittites, and Assyrians, each leaving their mark. Explore the cosmopolitan crossroads of Palmyra under Queen Zenobia, whose brief empire challenged Rome. Walk the streets of Damascus, the oldest continuously inhabited capital, where the Umayyad Mosque stands as a testament to Islamic power. Trace the Crusader castles of Krak des Chevaliers and the Ayyubid resistance of Saladin. Delve into the Ottoman centuries, the French Mandate, and the Ba'athist era under Hafez al-Assad. This show examines how Syria's ethnic and religious mosaic—Sunnis, Alawites, Christians, Druze, Kurds—shaped its modern tragedy, from the 2011 uprising to the ongoing civil war. We ask: How did a cradle of civilization become a battlefield for global powers? What can the ancient past teach us about sectarianism and resilience? With rigorous scholarship and human stories, Lucas and Luna uncover the deep roots of Syria's conflict and its enduring cultural legacy. This is not just a history of a country; it's the story of humanity itself.

#SyrianHistory#Palmyra#Zenobia#UmayyadMosque#Damascus#Aleppo#Ebla#Hittites#Assyrians#Crusades#KrakDesChevaliers#Saladin#OttomanEmpire#FrenchMandate#BaathParty#SyrianCivilWar#History#FexingoHistory

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Episodes

191 episodes

The Silk Road's Syrian Spice Route

Aug 1, 2026 · 7:11
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Nur al-Din: The Forgotten Unifier of Syria

Jul 30, 2026 · 5:04
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The Ghassanids: Rome's Christian Arab Kingdom in Syria

Jul 30, 2026 · 8:24
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Ugarit: Syria's Ancient City of the First Alphabet

Jul 29, 2026 · 4:38
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Simeon Stylites and the Pillar Saints of Syria

Jul 29, 2026 · 5:34
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Zenobia and the Palmyrene Empire: Syria's Desert Queen vs Rome

Jul 28, 2026 · 4:50
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Baybars: The Slave Sultan Who Rebuilt Syria

Jul 28, 2026 · 8:36
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The Battle of Maysalun: Syria's Lost Kingdom

Jul 27, 2026 · 4:48
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Hazael and the Kingdom of Aram-Damascus: Syria's Aramean Power

Jul 27, 2026 · 6:48
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Dura-Europos: Syria's Crossroads of Ancient Faiths and Empires

Jul 26, 2026 · 7:15
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The Battle of Yarmouk: The Day That Changed Syria Forever

Jul 26, 2026 · 7:39
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Timur's Sack of Damascus: The City That Survived Tamerlane

Jul 25, 2026 · 6:28
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The Umayyad Mosque: Syria's Spiritual Heart

Jul 25, 2026 · 6:03
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Qatna: Syria's Forgotten Bronze Age Palace of Secrets

Jul 24, 2026 · 5:42
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The White Terror: French Repression in Syria 1925

Jul 23, 2026 · 8:05
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Mari: Syria's Lost City of Kings and Archives

Jul 23, 2026 · 6:31
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The Siege of Damascus 634: How a City Changed History

Jul 22, 2026 · 5:49
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Ebla: Syria's Lost Kingdom of Tablets and Trade

Jul 22, 2026 · 7:20
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Al-Mutanabbi: Syria's Defiant Poet of Swords and Wisdom

Jul 21, 2026 · 8:36
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The Treaty of Kadesh: History's First Peace Pact

Jul 21, 2026 · 4:47
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The Assassins: How Syria's Mountain Fortresses Defied Empires

Jul 20, 2026 · 6:02
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Hittite Emperors and the Struggle for Ancient Syria

Jul 20, 2026 · 5:42
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Nur al-Din Zengi and the Jihad that United Syria

Jul 19, 2026 · 6:18
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The Alawite State: French Mandate and the Birth of Modern Syria's Sectarian Divide

Jul 18, 2026 · 6:11
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The Citadel of Aleppo: Fortress at the Crossroads of Syria

Jul 18, 2026 · 5:41
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Salah ad-Din's Siege of Aleppo 1183: The Unification of Syria

Jul 17, 2026 · 5:28
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The Silk Road's Syrian Crossroads: Palmyra's Merchant Empire

Jul 17, 2026 · 9:30
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Al-Mansur and the Building of Raqqa

Jul 16, 2026 · 8:17
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Jableh and the Hammam: Syria's Enduring Roman Baths

Jul 16, 2026 · 5:31
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Hulagu Khan and the Fall of Aleppo 1260

Jul 15, 2026 · 3:58
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The Book of Songs: Syria's Ancient Oral Poetry

Jul 15, 2026 · 9:13
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The Yaghra Tragedy: How a Syrian Village Shook the Ottoman Empire

Jul 14, 2026 · 11:00
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The Water that Built Damascus: Barada River and Ghouta

Jul 14, 2026 · 7:24
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The Ghouta: Damascus' Ancient Oasis of Gardens and Blood

Jul 13, 2026 · 6:38
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The Great Mosque of Aleppo: A Thousand Years of Faith and Fire

Jul 13, 2026 · 8:39
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The Miracle of the Umayyad Mosque: Damascus at the Heart of Faith

Jul 12, 2026 · 8:45
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Khalid ibn al-Walid: The Sword of God Who Conquered Syria

Jul 12, 2026 · 10:23
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Zenobia: The Warrior Queen Who Defied Rome

Jul 11, 2026 · 6:39
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The Siege of Damascus 1400: How Timur Broke the Mamluk Sultanate

Jul 11, 2026 · 8:03
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The Vengeance of Timur: How Tamerlane Destroyed Syria

Jul 10, 2026 · 6:55
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The Battle of Yarmouk 636: How Byzantium Lost Syria

Jul 10, 2026 · 7:14
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The Siege of Damascus 634: Khalid ibn al-Walid and the Muslim Conquest of Syria

Jul 9, 2026 · 6:26
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Ebla: Syria's Lost Bronze Age Kingdom of Tablets

Jul 9, 2026 · 6:48
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The Cradle of Alphabets: Ugarit and Syria's Lost Writing

Jul 8, 2026 · 8:24
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The Siege of Damascus 1148: The Second Crusade's Great Failure

Jul 8, 2026 · 6:47
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The White Death: How Famine Broke Mamluk Syria

Jul 7, 2026 · 7:07
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Aleppo's Lost Souk: A Millennia-Old Market Reborn

Jul 7, 2026 · 5:43
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The Hittite Treaty of Kadesh: Syria's First Peace Accord

Jul 6, 2026 · 7:34
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The White Palace: How Aleppo's Citadel Withstood Mongols and Earthquakes

Jul 6, 2026 · 7:47
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Saladin and the Fall of Jerusalem 1187

Jul 5, 2026 · 6:39
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The Silk Road's Syrian Spice: How Palmyra's Caravans Built an Empire

Jul 5, 2026 · 7:20
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The Assassins of Masyaf: Syria's Ismaili Fortress

Jul 4, 2026 · 6:46
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Hama's Water Wheels: The Norias That Watered Syria for a Millennium

Jul 4, 2026 · 9:39
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The Tanukh Confederation: Syria's Desert Arab Allies of Rome

Jul 3, 2026 · 8:43
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The Alawites: Syria's Mysterious Minority from Ibn Nusayr to Hafez al-Assad

Jul 3, 2026 · 8:52
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The Ghassanids: Syria's Forgotten Christian Arab Kings

Jul 2, 2026 · 7:17
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The Bequest of al-Walid: The Umayyad Mosque's Enduring Legacy

Jul 2, 2026 · 5:44
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The Umayyad Mosque: Damascus's Living History

Jul 1, 2026 · 8:39
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Palmyra: Queen Zenobia and Rome's Eastern Rival

Jul 1, 2026 · 6:03
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The Ghouta Oasis: Damascus's Lost Garden of Eden

Jun 30, 2026 · 5:39
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The Siege of Antioch 1098: Crusaders vs the World

Jun 30, 2026 · 8:19
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Symeon Stylites: The Saint Who Lived on a Pillar in Syria

Jun 29, 2026 · 7:16
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Qinnasrin: Syria's Forgotten Roman and Islamic City

Jun 29, 2026 · 5:37
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The Battle of Yarmouk: The Battle That Changed Syria Forever

Jun 28, 2026 · 6:37
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The Battle of Harran: Rome's Worst Defeat in the East

Jun 28, 2026 · 7:57
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Philip the Arab: Syria's Forgotten Roman Emperor

Jun 27, 2026 · 10:41
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Ebla: Syria's Lost Bronze Age Kingdom

Jun 27, 2026 · 7:36
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Aleppo's Medieval Economy: The Funduq System and International Trade

Jun 26, 2026 · 7:12
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Cyrrhus and the Ghosts of Syria's Hellenistic Frontier

Jun 26, 2026 · 4:56
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Syria's Byzantine Fortresses of the Syrian Limes

Jun 25, 2026 · 8:05
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The Roman Theatre of Bosra: Syria's Sandstone Colosseum

Jun 25, 2026 · 8:52
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Syria's 1860 Massacre: Sectarian Violence in Ottoman Damascus

Jun 24, 2026 · 7:35
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The Siege of Damascus 1148: The Second Crusade's Great Failure

Jun 24, 2026 · 6:20
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Aleppo's Citadel: A Fortress at the Crossroads of Empires

Jun 23, 2026 · 9:29
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Syria's 1860 Massacre: Sectarian Violence in Ottoman Damascus

Jun 23, 2026 · 6:34
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Syria's Lost Cities: The Byzantine Dead Cities of the Limestone Massif

Jun 22, 2026 · 5:36
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The Dead Cities of Northern Syria: Rome's Lost Rural World

Jun 22, 2026 · 4:54
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The Orontes River: Lifeline of Ancient Syria

Jun 21, 2026 · 7:07
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The Great Mosque of Aleppo: A Thousand Years of Faith and Fire

Jun 21, 2026 · 6:40
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Syria's Forgotten Queen: The Palmyrene Empire Under Zenobia

Jun 20, 2026 · 9:51
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The White City: Damascus Under the Umayyads

Jun 20, 2026 · 8:18
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The Hashshashin: Syria's Mountain Fortresses of the Assassins

Jun 19, 2026 · 6:31
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The Umayyad Mosque: Damascus Sacred Heart of Syria

Jun 19, 2026 · 6:43
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The 1925 Great Syrian Revolt Against French Rule

Jun 18, 2026 · 5:41
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Syria's Cotton King and the Medieval Global Economy

Jun 18, 2026 · 6:44
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Syria's Cotton King and the Medieval Global Economy Revisited

Jun 17, 2026 · 8:43
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The Battle of Yarmouk: Byzantium's Last Gamble for Syria

Jun 17, 2026 · 5:56
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Syria's Silk Road: The Medieval Caravanserai Network

Jun 16, 2026 · 6:54
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Qinnasrin: Syria's Lost Frontier City Between Empires

Jun 16, 2026 · 5:17
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Ebla's Royal Archive: The Oldest Library in Syria

Jun 15, 2026 · 7:07
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Syria's Cotton King and the Medieval Global Economy

Jun 15, 2026 · 6:15
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The Siege of Aleppo 1260: Hulagu's Mongol Conquest

Jun 14, 2026 · 8:10
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Palmyra: Syria's Desert Queen Between Empires

Jun 14, 2026 · 7:10
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The Siege of Damascus 1400: Timur's Wrath

Jun 13, 2026 · 9:04
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The Syrian Desert's Ghost Towns: Byzantine Dead Cities of the Limestone Massif

Jun 13, 2026 · 7:25
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Syria's Cotton King and the Medieval Global Economy

Jun 12, 2026 · 5:31
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Aleppo's Medieval Citadel: Fortress of Power and Siege

Jun 12, 2026 · 9:37
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Syria's Sweet Secret: The Ancient City of Apamea

Jun 12, 2026 · 6:37
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Syria's Cotton King: The Rise and Fall of Al-Dimashqi

Jun 11, 2026 · 4:17
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Syria's Forgotten Kingdom: The Arameans and Their Language

Jun 11, 2026 · 6:44
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Ebla: Syria's Lost Empire of Tablets and Trade

Jun 10, 2026 · 9:16
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Syria's Early Christian Legacy: The Church of the East and Edessa

Jun 10, 2026 · 8:10
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The Siege of Harran: Syria's Last Stand Against the Mongols

Jun 9, 2026 · 5:14
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Ugarit: Syria's Lost Kingdom of Alphabet and Trade

Jun 9, 2026 · 9:43
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Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi: The Battle of Hattin and the Conquest of Jerusalem

Jun 8, 2026 · 4:28
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The Assassins: Syria's Mountain Fortresses and the Nizari Ismaili State

Jun 8, 2026 · 9:10
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The Umayyad Mosque: Damascus and the Birth of Islamic Architecture

Jun 7, 2026 · 7:51
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The Battle of Yarmouk: Islam's Decisive Victory in Syria

Jun 7, 2026 · 6:24
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Qadisiyah: The Battle That Brought Islam to Syria

Jun 6, 2026 · 7:45
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The Siege of Damascus 634: Khalid ibn al-Walid's Bold Gamble

Jun 6, 2026 · 7:14
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Syria's Lost City of Resafa and the Martyr Who Made It Holy

Jun 5, 2026 · 6:33
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The Rise of Nur al-Din: Syria's Forgotten Unifier

Jun 5, 2026 · 7:37
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Saladin's Siege of Aleppo: The Unification of Syria

Jun 4, 2026 · 5:42
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The Siege of Aleppo 1260: Mongols, Mamluks, and the Fate of Syria

Jun 4, 2026 · 7:04
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King of the Desert: Philip the Arab and Rome's Syrian Emperor

Jun 3, 2026 · 7:19
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The Silk Road Arc: Palmyra's Trade Empire Before Zenobia

Jun 3, 2026 · 9:34
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Zenobia: Syria's Warrior Queen Who Defied Rome

Jun 2, 2026 · 7:12
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The Siege of Aleppo 1260: Mongols, Mamluks, and the Fate of Syria

Jun 2, 2026 · 6:33
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Syria's 200 Year Drought That Ended the Bronze Age

Jun 1, 2026 · 6:21
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Aleppo: Syria's Enduring City Through the Ages

Jun 1, 2026 · 6:18
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Dura-Europos: Rome's Lost Fortress on the Syrian Frontier

May 31, 2026 · 10:31
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Mari: Syria's Lost City of Kings and Clay Tablets

May 31, 2026 · 6:20
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The Kingdom of Qatna: Syria's Lost Bronze Age Palatial Capital

May 30, 2026 · 6:48
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Ebla: The Lost Kingdom That Rewrote Syrian History

May 30, 2026 · 5:47
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Qinnasrin: Syria's Forgotten Capital of the Umayyad Caliphate

May 29, 2026 · 7:08
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Syria's White Gold: The Salt of Palmyra That Built an Empire

May 29, 2026 · 7:54
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Ugarit's Lost Royal Garden: A Bronze Age Eden in Syria

May 28, 2026 · 5:33
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The Cradle of Alphabets: Ugarit and the Birth of the First True Alphabet

May 28, 2026 · 8:40
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The Siege of Dara: Rome and Persia's First War of 530 AD

May 27, 2026 · 5:55
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Umayyad Mosque: Syria's Holiest Site and the Birth of Islamic Architecture

May 27, 2026 · 7:58
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The 1860 Damascus Massacre: Sectarian Violence and the Ottoman Response

May 26, 2026 · 8:50
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The French Mandate and Syria's Great Revolt of 1925

May 26, 2026 · 5:35
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The Yom Kippur War on the Golan Heights

May 25, 2026 · 10:16
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Syria's Protestant Mission: The 1860 Damascus Massacre

May 25, 2026 · 9:14
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The Siege of Damascus 1148: Crusader Defeat in the Second Crusade

May 24, 2026 · 5:47
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Syria's Forgotten Queen: Mavia's Desert Revolt Against Rome

May 24, 2026 · 4:37
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Syria's Silent Cities: The Byzantine Ghost Towns of the Limestone Massif

May 23, 2026 · 8:30
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Damascus Steel: The Legendary Blades of Medieval Syria

May 23, 2026 · 6:12
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Palmyra: Zenobia's Desert Empire That Defied Rome

May 22, 2026 · 7:46
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Saladin's Forgotten Siege of Kerak Castle

May 20, 2026 · 5:19
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The Battle of Marj Dabiq: The End of Mamluk Syria

May 19, 2026 · 5:54
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Aleppo's Lost Souq: A Millennium of Silk, Spices and Trade

May 19, 2026 · 6:28
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The Siege of Aleppo 1260: Mongols, Mamluks, and the Fall of the City

May 18, 2026 · 6:39
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Syria's Barada River: The Arterial Lifeline of Damascus

May 18, 2026 · 5:31
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Ebla: Syria's First Kingdom on the Tablets of Destiny

May 17, 2026 · 7:39
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Syria's Arameans: The Forgotten Language Empire

May 17, 2026 · 5:28
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Mari: Syria's Lost Bronze Age Kingdom on the Euphrates

May 16, 2026 · 5:19
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The Battle of the Trench: Ali's Stand Against the Kharijites

May 16, 2026 · 3:37
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Syria's Alawite Schism: From Ghulat to State Power

May 15, 2026 · 5:49
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Syria's Crusader Castles: The Krak des Chevaliers and Margat

May 15, 2026 · 7:45
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Syria's Water Empire: The Ancient Aqueducts of the Dead Cities

May 12, 2026 · 5:24
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Syria's Umayyad Mosque: A History in Stone

May 12, 2026 · 6:21
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Syria's Silk City: The Rise and Fall of Dura-Europos

May 11, 2026 · 6:17
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The Alawite State: France's Syrian Divide

May 11, 2026 · 9:39
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The Siege of Shaizar: Crusaders, Byzantines, and the Art of Medieval Siegecraft

May 10, 2026 · 7:31
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Qinnasrin: Syria's Lost Frontier City

May 10, 2026 · 7:43
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The Dead Cities of Syria: Rome's Abandoned Frontier

May 9, 2026 · 6:55
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Al-Mutanabbi's Sword and Pen: Poetry in Syria's Hamdanid Court

May 9, 2026 · 4:59
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Syria's Breadbasket: The Hauran's Wheat Empire

May 8, 2026 · 6:30
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The Siege of Damascus 1148: Crusader Catastrophe

May 8, 2026 · 6:19
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The Ghassanids: Rome's Arab Shield in Syria

May 7, 2026 · 6:43
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The Enigma of Zenobia: Queen of Palmyra's Rebellion

May 7, 2026 · 5:57
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The Silk Road Through Syria: Palmyra's Caravan Empire

May 6, 2026 · 5:51
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The Kingdom of Palmyra: Zenobia's Desert Empire

May 6, 2026 · 5:44
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Syria's Aleppo Citadel: A Fortress of Civilizations

May 5, 2026 · 7:05
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The Monument of Zabad: Aramaic's Last Stand

May 5, 2026 · 7:31
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The Siege of Antioch 1098 Crusader Triumph and Betrayal

May 4, 2026 · 4:54
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The Siege of Homs: Syria's Forgotten Mamluk Victory

May 4, 2026 · 4:21
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The Lost City of Ebla: Syria's First Empire

May 3, 2026 · 5:43
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Syria's First Poet: Al-Mutanabbi and the Hamdanid Court

May 3, 2026 · 6:17
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The Siege of Damascus 634: Byzantines vs Arabs

May 2, 2026 · 6:12
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The Roman-Persian Frontier: Syria's Crucible

May 2, 2026 · 7:24
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Syria's Cradle of Writing: The Ugaritic Alphabet Revolution

May 1, 2026 · 6:57
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Queen Mavia: The Arab Warrior Who Defeated Rome

May 1, 2026 · 5:10
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Queen Mavia: The Arab Warrior Who Defeated Rome

Apr 30, 2026 · 9:00
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The Year Syria Burned: Drought, Revolt, and the Fall of the Umayyads

Apr 30, 2026 · 4:48
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The Assassins of Masyaf: Ismaili Fortresses in Crusader Syria

Apr 29, 2026 · 5:49
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The Rise of the Fatimids: Syria Under Ismaili Rule

Apr 29, 2026 · 4:22
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The Umayyad Caliphate: Syria's First Islamic Dynasty

Apr 28, 2026 · 6:55
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Syria's Water Crisis Then and Now: The Legacy of the Qanats

Apr 28, 2026 · 7:24
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The Great Earthquake of 1157: Syria's Medieval Apocalypse

Apr 27, 2026 · 5:24
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The Yarmouk Valley's Ancient Battleground: Ghassanid Byzantines

Apr 27, 2026 · 6:36
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The Poisoned Chalice: Syrian Druze Revolt 1925

Apr 26, 2026 · 7:15
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Saladin's Forgotten War: The Siege of Kerak

Apr 26, 2026 · 7:38
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The Silk Road Nexus: Palmyra and the Syrian Trade Empire

Apr 25, 2026 · 6:39
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The Eclipse of the Caliphate: Harun al-Rashid and the Abbasid Golden Age

Apr 25, 2026 · 5:13
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The Mongol Storm That Shattered Aleppo

Apr 25, 2026 · 5:04
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The Siege of Aleppo at the End of the Crusades

Apr 25, 2026 · 3:37
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The Great Mosque of Damascus: A Sacred Crossroads

Apr 24, 2026 · 6:27
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Zenobia: The Warrior Queen Who Defied Rome

Apr 23, 2026 · 6:03
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The First Civilization: Ebla, Ugarit, and the Dawn of Syria

Apr 23, 2026 · 8:55
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