Suriye

Syria is a geography stretching between the Eastern Mediterranean and Mesopotamia, intertwined with surrounding regions where Kurds have lived or established dominance throughout history. In the sources of the corpus, it stands out as an important stage for both the ancient Perso-Roman struggles, the Islamic period conquests, and the Kurdish-origin Ayyubid dynasty.

Antiquity

In ancient sources, Syria is mentioned as one of the centers of conflicts between regional great powers. According to the Ka'be-i Zerdüşt Inscription (ŠKZ) at Naqsh-e Rustam, Sasanian Empire ruler Shapur I (240-271/2) continued the campaigns launched against Rome during the reign of his father Ardashir I; after the battles of Misikhe (244), Barbalissos (252), and Edessa-Karrhae (260), he captured many places from Mesopotamia, Syria, and neighboring regions (Vol. 1, p. 67). This record shows Syria's position in the border geography of Sasanian-Roman rivalry.

Islamic Period

In the Islamic period, Syria's political landscape was reshaped by conquests. While Islam dominated the entire Arabian Peninsula at the time of Prophet Muhammad's death, a conquest campaign towards Iraq and Syria was initiated during the caliphate of Abu Bakr (632-634). This campaign was completed during the caliphate of Umar (634-644) with the capture of Syria, al-Jazira, and Egypt from the Byzantine Empire, and Iraq and Iran from the Sasanian Empire (Vol. 1, p. 87).

Syria has also been one of the environments where historians who contributed to Kurdish history were trained. Baladhuri (d. 279/892-93), one of the greatest Islamic historians of the 9th century, went to Baghdad after completing his traditional education in Damascus and Homs due to his father's duty in Syria (Vol. 1, p. 89). Thus, Syrian cities were among the scholarly environments where early Islamic historiography developed.

Ayyubid and Aftermath

Syria's most significant importance for Kurdish history emerges during the period of the Ayyubid State, founded by Saladin Yusuf ibn Najm al-Din Ayyub ibn Shadi. The Ayyubids, who seized power in Egypt in 564/1169, soon brought Hijaz, Yemen, Syria, Palestine, North Africa, and a significant part of al-Jazira under their rule. The regions held by this state, established at a time when the Franks threatened the East, became the primary target of the Third, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Crusades; the Ayyubid dynasty waged an extraordinary struggle against the Crusaders (Vol. 1, p. 151).

Syria also became the scene of major invasions in the post-Ayyubid period. Upon the Mongol invasion of Northern Syria, Ibn Shaddad fled to Egypt in 659/1261 and did not return to Syria until the campaign of 669/1271, which he accompanied Mamluk Sultan Baybars (Vol. 1, p. 185). This record reveals that in the mid-13th century, Syria transformed into a front line of Mongol-Mamluk conflicts.