Syria is one of the world’s oldest inhabited regions. It was part of ancient civilizations like the Ebla and later ruled by empires such as the Egyptians, Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans. In the 7th century, it became part of the Islamic Caliphate, with Damascus as the Umayyad capital. It was later ruled by the Ottomans from 1516 until the end of World War I. After the war, France took control under a League of Nations mandate. Syria gained independence in 1946. In 1970, Hafez al-Assad took power, followed by his son Bashar in 2000. Since 2011, Syria has been in a civil war, leading to major destruction and displacement. ---