Syria hosts various international festivals and fairs showcasing the country's artistic talents and cultural diversity, offering a unique opportunity to experience the beauty and creativity of this ancient land.
An annual commercial exhibition event, taking place in Damascus, Syria. Described as "The Syrian economy's window to the world", held since 1954. It is the oldest in the Middle East, taking place annually in the Umayyad Square. Unfortunately, due to the Syrian Civil War, they cancelled the event in 2012.However, in 2017, it resumed again in a newly established state-of-the-art fairground. You can find it on the Highway between Damascus and the International Airport. The new fairground enjoys exhibition halls, services and facilities according to the most modern global standards, and is one of the biggest fairgrounds worldwide.
An annual tourism festival that takes place in May every year, in the historic city of Palmyra, Syria. The festival showcases Palmyra's art, culture, and folklore in a unique desert atmosphere, making it a popular tourist event. Some international artistic groups perform on the stage of Palmyra Theatre. The event holds races that showcase the famous Arabian horses, along with competitions for beauty and elegance. There are also folklore shows from Palmyra and the desert, Syrian folk art groups, and other activities during the festival days. In this festival, you can find shops exhibiting traditional Syrian handicrafts such as copperware, souvenirs, gifts, carpets, rugs, jewellery, pottery, and more.
One of the popular Syrian and Arab festivals where folklore groups, dance groups, and artists from Syria and all over the world participate. The events and shows take place on the stage of the historic Bosra Amphitheater, which is one of the largest and most beautiful Roman theaters. They launched the first festival in 1978 under the sponsorship of the Syrian Ministry of Culture and gained a lot of international fame. The activities and celebrations take place in September of each year. A large audience attends the festival, coming to the historic city from all over, with daily train trips from Damascus to Bosra.
Every July, Aleppo hosts the Cotton Festival to showcase the region's extensive cotton industry.The area is responsible for producing almost all of Syria's cotton exports. During the festival, factories open their doors to exhibit their products and expertise in cotton manufacturing.People from all over Syria attend the festival to learn new skills and purchase 100% cotton goods at lower prices than usual. The event is a great opportunity for locals to appreciate the region's cotton industry and to learn more about the various cotton products made in Aleppo.
Takes place every September in Damascus and has recently gained popularity. The purpose of the fair is to promote Arabic literature and provide a platform for local writers, both established and emerging. The event also features international authors.Along with book launches and signings, attendees can participate in discussions with the authors.Therefore, this festival offers a wide range of events to celebrate literature.
Also in September, an interesting event that aims to celebrate and commemorate the diversity and unity of Syria’s many nationalities.The city of Damascus takes you on a journey into the past, transforming itself into a meeting place for the Silk Road caverns.The festival also spreads to other cities, which are illuminated with vibrant colours and host a variety of cultural activities.
Hosted in Damascus every November since 1979.The Syrian film director "Muhammad Shahin" founded this event. In fact, the festival's competition focused on films from Arab countries, Latin America, and Asia until 1999.However, since 2001, the festival shifted its focus to international films.
In addition to the previous festivals, Syria also celebrates some holidays yearly to honour national historic events including: Evacuation Day on Apr 17, Workers Day on May 1st, Teachers Day in April, 6th October Liberation War, the Corrective Movement of 1970 and many other events.
