The wait is over: Returning to Damascus

Whenever people repeatedly asked me, “So, when are you going?” I would always reply, “I didn’t anticipate the regime falling this quickly; I’ve unfortunately packed my schedule too tight.” Indeed, while everyone was making their way to Damascus, I was busy fulfilling commitments both within and outside Türkiye. Finally, after sending the January 2025 issue of Derin Tarih, dedicated to Sham-i Sharif, to the press, I set off for Syria.

Syria was the first foreign country I visited in my early twenties, my initial point of contact with the Islamic world, and the subject of my first published book. It was also where I learned to speak Arabic, giving Syria—and Damascus in particular—a very special place in my heart.

The thought of seeing my beautiful city again after years of following it from afar due to circumstances was an indescribable feeling. As I traveled from Reyhanlı to Idlib, then through Hama and Homs, and drew closer to Damascus, an overwhelming emotion took hold of me. I couldn’t help but think, “If I feel this intensely, how much greater must the joy be for the Syrian people—those forcibly uprooted from their homes and cities, bombed relentlessly, left to endure the harshness of life in refugee camps, turned away at borders, and drowned in the seas?” Throughout the journey, I saw clear signs of peace and relief on the faces of the people, evidence that the end of Baath’s darkness was itself enough to define this moment as a “victory.” Viewing events in Syria through the eyes of its people made everything much more meaningful.

Excluding the catastrophic destruction caused by regime bombings in suburbs like Jobar, Douma, and Harasta, I found Damascus almost as I had left it. We entered the city center and crossed from Shari’a al-Nasr into the Hamidiyeh Souq, then made our way to the Umayyad Mosque. Before stepping inside, in accordance with proper etiquette, we paid our respects to the “most beloved sultan of the East,” Salah ad-Din al-Ayyubi. It was here, too, that the French commander Henri Joseph Gouraud stood in 1920 after defeating the Arab army at the Battle of Maysalun. However, Gouraud’s purpose was far from respectful—he infamously kicked Salah ad-Din’s tomb and declared, “We are here!” A century later, as a new era begins in Syria, we stood at the great sultan’s tomb with reverence, love, and gratitude.

The Umayyad Mosque was one of my favorite places in Damascus when I lived there, and now, perhaps due to the longing I felt, it seemed even more magnificent and majestic as I stepped into its courtyard. Can places, too, find peace? It seemed the Umayyad Mosque had. Not long ago, preachers who ascended its pulpit publicly praised the Baath army and its “supreme commander,” Bashar al-Assad, undoubtedly causing this ancient sanctuary to grieve deeply. Now, however, its pulpit, mihrab, doors, windows, and majestic dome appeared serene and restored to their true essence. Lessons and scholarly discussions had once again resumed in every corner of the mosque.

Walking through Damascus, both within and beyond its walls, exploring its neighborhoods, and visiting cities like Homs, Hama, and Maarrat al-Numan, I could feel the beginnings of reconstruction in a nation devastated by war. It was both surprising and profound to witness people moving past their initial waves of joy and beginning to expect tangible improvements and progress from the new administration.

Rebuilding a country whose cities have been destroyed, population balance upended, economy shattered, infrastructure ruined, and religious and sectarian fault lines heightened is an immensely challenging task. Syria’s new leadership faces the dual burden of fulfilling the hopes pinned on it while also contending with various forces working to ensure its failure.

At this critical juncture, Türkiye—and all of us—have significant responsibilities. However, we must never lose sight of this delicate balance: Syria is not our province or state; it is our invaluable neighbor whose liberation we have supported. We will not lead with Syria trailing behind; instead, we will walk side by side, arm in arm. Any other formulation of this relationship would only give ammunition to those eager to sow discord between us.