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Map of ancient
sites of the Middle East. Many ancient
civilizations existed on the Syrian soil. This map
displays some of the ancient sites in Syria and
the Middle East. |
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Map of the Great
Umayyad Empire, with a small map of its capital,
Damascus. This empire was the greatest in the
world in the 7th and 8th centuries under Caliph
Walid I. The map dates back to 1884 |
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Another map of the
Umayyad Empire at its greatest extent. |
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The Crusaders
Principalities in Syria and Palestine and the
Empire of Saladin, who defeated the Crusaders at
the battle of Hittin |
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The Ottoman Empire
(16th and 17th centuries). The Ottomans occupied
the Middle East including Syria in 1516. Their
occupation lasted till 1918. |
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The city of
Damascus, 1912. From a guide book on "Palestine
and Syria". |
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1947 UN Partition
plan for Palestine. The plan gave the Jewish state
58% of Palestine's area despite the fact that Jews
were only 30% of Palestine's population. |
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The Arab armies
attack in the Palestine War 1948. Arabs achieved
initial victories. Before accepting a short truce,
during which Israel strengthened its troops with
new weapons. |
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Armistice lines
1949. The war ended with Israel occupying 78% of
Palestine. But the Arab-Israeli conflict was only
at its beginning. |
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Israeli aggression
against Arab countries, June 1967. During a
six-day-war, Israel occupied Egyptian Sinai, the
West Bank of Jordan and the Syrian Golan Heights. |
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Syrian attack in
the Golan Heights during the October War 1973.
Syrians were only few kilometers away from the Sea
of Galilee. Israel would have suffered a
disastrous defeat without the massive American
military aid. |
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Golan Heights
(1974-1999), After the October War 1973, Syria
liberated some land in the Golan. This is how the
Golan looks today, with many Israeli settlements
built in it against all international laws and UN
resolutions. |
