Books That Help You Understand Syrian Culture, Beyond the Headlines

Syria is often spoken about in the past tense. In news cycles and political debates, it’s reduced to ruins and warzones, to ceasefires and sanctions. But Syria is also poetry recited under olive trees. It’s family tables overflowing with stories and food. It’s calligraphy in old Damascene alleys and songs carried through generations. And if you really want to know Syria, not as a crisis, but as a culture, you have to read. Because there are some books for understanding Syrian culture that don’t just tell you what happened, they let you feel what it meant.

I’ve written some of my own stories in this spirit, not to explain Syria, but to share what it feels like to carry it with you. But long before I was a novelist, I was a reader. And it was through books, Syrian, Arabic, French, and English, that I began to piece together the beauty and complexity of my own heritage.

Reading Syria- Where to Begin?

If you’re looking for books for understanding Syrian culture, you might be wondering where to start. Do you go for history? Memoir? Fiction? The truth is, you need a little of everything. Syrian culture is layered. To understand it, you need to see it from the inside and outside, through exile and homeland, through nostalgia and protest, through silence and song.

Here are a few titles that I believe open the door:

1. Nizar Qabbani – The Language of the Heart

You can’t talk about Syrian culture without mentioning Nizar Qabbani. Apart from being a poet, he was a cultural force. His verses touch on love, politics, feminism, and Arab identity in ways that are still quoted today. If you want to understand how Syrians feel, read Qabbani. His poetry is soft and sharp, tender and rebellious. It’s the kind of writing that makes you remember your first heartbreak and your first revolution.

2. Ibn Jubayr (1145–1217)

Ibn Jubayr was a prominent Andalusian geographer, traveler, and writer known for his detailed travelogue describing the medieval Islamic world, particularly the Middle East and Mediterranean regions. His influential writings significantly shaped historical and cultural understanding of the period.

3. Ibn Battuta (1304–1369)

Ibn Battuta was a prominent Moroccan explorer renowned for his extensive travels, covering much of the Islamic world, Africa, Asia, and parts of Europe. His detailed accounts provide valuable historical insights into medieval societies and cultures.

4. Leila Aboulela – Bridging Culture Across Borders

Though Sudanese-Egyptian by origin, Leila Aboulela’s novels often include Syrian characters and explore themes of faith, migration, and Arab identity in the West. Books like The Translator and Minaret show what it’s like to navigate identity in unfamiliar lands, something many Syrians now understand all too well. Her work is a valuable lens for viewing culture across movement and memory.

5. Palmyre pour toujours by Siwar Al Assad

This one is personal. In Palmyre pour toujours, I tried to capture what it means to lose more than a city. Palmyra wasn’t just a historical site; it was part of our cultural DNA. Watching it be desecrated was like watching a piece of yourself be erased. But I didn’t want to write from grief alone. I wrote from hope. From the belief that memory, when written down, becomes a form of preservation. This book is my love letter to Syrian heritage and my call for cultural memory to be protected even when the world moves on.

6. Ahmad Shawqi (1868–1932)

Ahmad Shawqi was a prominent Egyptian poet and play-wright. His poetry, celebrated for its classical Arabic style and cultural depth, significantly influenced modern Arab literature.

7. Adonis (b. 1930)

Adonis born Ali Ahmad Said Esber, is a prominent Syrian poet and essayist widely regarded as one of the most influential and innovative figures in modern Arabic literature.

8. Badawi al-Jabal (1905–1981)

Badawi al-Jabal was a distinguished Syrian poet celebrated for his classical style, eloquent language, and profound exploration of Arab identity, nationalism, and philosophy. His poetry remains influential in modern Arab literary culture.

9. Eugene Rogan (b. 1960)

Eugene Rogan is a prominent historian and professor at the University of Oxford, specializing in the modern history of the Middle East. His influential works provide deep insights into Arab history, politics, and society.

10. Freya Stark (1893–1993)

Freya Stark was a prominent British explorer and travel writer known for her extensive journeys and vivid accounts of the Middle East. Her influential writings provided valuable insights into the cultures and landscapes of the region.

11. Lieve Joris (b. 1953)

Lieve Joris is a notable Belgian travel writer renowned for her immersive and insightful narratives, particularly about the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe. Her works vividly capture personal stories and cultural dynamics of regions she explores.

12. Alphonse de Lamartine (1790–1869)

Alphonse de Lamartine was a prominent French poet, historian, and politician. A key figure in French Romanticism, Lamartine was renowned for his lyrical poetry and influential writings, as well as his active involvement in political affairs, notably during the 1848 French Revolution.

13. Colin Thubron (b. 1939)

Colin Thubron is a distinguished British travel writer and novelist, widely celebrated for his lyrical prose, insightful observations, and deep cultural empathy. His extensive travels and literary contributions have significantly influenced contemporary travel literature.

More Than War- Everyday Syria in Fiction

Not every story has to be about politics. One of the challenges of writing about Syria is that people expect suffering. But there’s so much more. There are novels about love, comedy, daily life, family traditions, class clashes, and artistic dreams. Look for short story collections like Contemporary Syrian Literature or translated works by authors like Zakaria Tamer. These are windows into the quieter moments, the ones that tell you who we are when no one is watching.

Why These Stories Matter Now

The books for understanding Syrian culture aren’t just important because they educate; they’re urgent because they humanize. In a time when Syria is still reduced to rubble and headlines, these books remind the world that we are more than our tragedy. We are artists, thinkers, lovers, survivors. We are storytellers.

I write novels like A Coeur Perdu and Guard Thy Heart not as political commentaries but as emotional maps. Even when set outside Syria, they carry traces of Syrian experience, questions of identity, of longing, of fractured belonging. That’s how culture works: it follows you. It leaks into your stories whether you plan for it or not.

Read Us First Before You Judge Us

If you truly want to know Syria, start with a book. Not a tweet. Not a soundbite. A book. Let it sit with you. Let it speak for itself.

Because the books for understanding Syrian culture are testaments to our lost past. They tell the story of a people who refuse to disappear.

And maybe, just maybe, they’ll change the way you see us.