Good Time to Visit
Weather
The Syrian Arab Republic has a coastal Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers (May-October) and mild, wet winters (December-March). The interior of the country has a desert or semi-desert climate, with an annual rainfall below 20 cm. Average temperatures in Damascus range from 7°C in January to 27°C in July. Nights are often cool.
Visitors are advised to bring lightweight clothing in summer, with warmer clothes advisable from November to March.
More information about the Syrian weather may be found in Climate in Syria.
Festivals
Many festivals, events and fairs occur throughout the year; these include the Silk Road Festival and the Festival of Folklore and Music, in Bosra, which feature artistic, sports and musical shows from different countries of the Silk Road. There's also the Friendship Festival in Latakia, the International Cotton Festival in Aleppo, the Vine Festival in As Suwayda (all in September) and the Film and Theatre Festival in Damascus (November). There are also many religious events throughout the year, such as Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr.
Public Holidays
The following table shows the public holidays celebrated in Syria:
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| 1 January | New Year's Day |
| March/April (variable) | Easter |
| 8 March | Revolution Day |
| 21 March | Mother's Day |
| April/May (variable) | Orthodox Easter |
| 17 April | Independence Day |
| 1 May | Labour Day |
| 6 May | Martyrs' Day |
| 6 October | October Liberation War |
| 25 December | Christmas Day |
| Variable* | Islamic New Year |
| Variable* | Mouloud (Birth of the Prophet) |
| Variable* | Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan) |
| Variable* | Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) |
* Although Muslim holidays always fall on the same day of the Islamic calendar, the date they are celebrated on the Gregorian calendar varies from year to year, due to the fact that the Islamic calendar is lunar whilst the Gregorian calendar is solar. Because this lunar year is about 11 days shorter than the solar year, Islamic holy days usually shift 11 days earlier each successive solar year. The method used to determine when each Islamic month begins also varies from country to country.
