The Syrian Arab Republic lies on the Eastern edge of the Mediterranean, at the crossroads of great trade routes between the East and West and has been inhabited for more than 7,000 years. Today, the total population of Syria is a little over 13 million, half of whom live in cities, with 4 million in Damascus alone.
90% of Syrians are Sunni Muslims, who cohabit with significant Alawi, Druze and Christian minorities. The country’s official language is Arabic, which is spoken by nearly all Syrians and French is the second-most-common language, although nowadays English is also widely spoken. Syrians use Indian, not standard Arabic numerals.
Syria: Loud and Clear!
You know you’re in Syria when you meet a Syrian. We’re not talking about shy or timid folk here! Syrians are life-loving, passionate, affectionate and vociferous people who stand close to each other, talk loudly with their hands, honk their car-horns, haggle over prices and don’t consider punctuality obligatory. Both men and women are very affectionate with others of the same sex and touch, hold hands, or even kiss their friends on the mouth freely in public. At least half of Syria’s men and boys are named Muhammad and often use their middle names to distinguish themselves from each other.
The Low-Down on Syrian Guys
Syrian guys wear a mix of traditional Arab and Western-style clothing, although jeans and running shoes aren’t commonly spotted on the streets. Young Syrian men often have very short, closely cropped hair and like to dress stylishly. Both men and women cover their legs to at least below the knee and their arms to below the elbow and neither men nor women wear shorts.
Syrian guys (and girls) live with their parents until they marry and sometimes after, as sons may bring their wives to live with their families. Arranged marriages are still common, with first cousins being the preferred match and divorce is relatively rare. When a divorce is granted in Syria, the father usually gets custody of the children. Upon the death of one parent, an adult child (usually a son) is required to take care of the surviving parent until death. There are no nursing homes in Syria and the elderly are cared for at home by their families.
All jobs in Syria pay low wages, so almost all Syrians work two or three jobs. Less than 10% of Syrian women work and many guys work in unnecessary jobs that have been created to reduce unemployment. Syria has a large standing army, which employs a number of young men.
Where Mr Right is Likely to Hang Out
Eating and socializing are the main forms of entertainment for Syrians, although some public activities are considered socially unacceptable for women. Guys often sit for hours in all-male teahouses drinking tea or Turkish coffee. They smoke, talk, and sometimes play Turkish backgammon. Young Syrian men also hang out in the streets, and if they have cars, they love to cruise around. On Fridays, the Islamic day of rest, Syrians with cars often drive to mountain resorts to eat, talk, and take strolls.
American and Asian action films are popular with young Syrian guys, who love going to the cinema or renting movies. All Syrians enjoy concerts and especially love parties. At celebrations men and women, (either separately or together), perform the dabka, a line dance accompanied by a band or a tabla player, which is also popular in Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine. Dancing the dabka requires a certain dexterity and sense of rhythm, and a leader is nominated to guide the dancers by shouting out moves as he or she dances in front of them.
Did You Know?
One of Syria’s most-loved heroines is Queen Zenobia of Palmyra who took control in AD 267 when her husband and her son were both assassinated. Queen Zenobia led her troops in battle against the Romans. When a Syrian man tells a woman that she is incapable of doing something, she often replies, “What about our Queen Zenobia?” This is supposed to remind him of a woman’s inherent ability to meet any great challenge.
Are you a Syrian guy with something to say? Got an interesting/funny story about being or dating in Damascus? Let us know…
