BETH ZALIN, Syria / DARAMSUQ — The Joint Events Platform of Women’s Movements and Organizations held a panel discussion in Beth Zalin (Qamishli), Syria, on women’s status, achievements, and prospects for participation in decision-making positions under the title The Integration Process and Women’s Gains Between Reality and Aspirations. The event was attended by representatives of women’s movements and organizations, women’s rights activists, and Jihan Hussam, head of Beth Zalin District.

HASAKAH, Syria — As part of efforts to integrate the security, military, civil, and service institutions of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of the Region of North and East Syria (DAARNES) into Syrian government institutions under the 29 January Agreement, the Syrian Ministry of Defense opened a center in the Ghweran neighborhood of Hasakah on Tuesday to serve as a headquarters for the military police.

MOSUL, Iraq — The churches of the Syriac Orthodox Diocese of Mor Mattai Monastery held their sixth annual youth festival on the evening of Tuesday under the theme, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” The festival was held under the patronage of Syriac Orthodox Archbishop of Mor Mattai Monastery Metropolitan Timotheus Mousa al-Shamani. It was attended by Patriarchal Vicar for Youth and Christian Education Mor Andrawos Bahhi and Syriac Orthodox Archbishop of Mosul and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) Mor Nicodemus Daoud Matti Sharaf.

BETH ZALIN (QAMISHLI), Syria — Sanharib Barsoum, Co-Chair of the Syriac Union Party, spoke to our news desk about the integration process between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as well as the future of the Syriac people. Barsoum said that the imposition of individual integration threatens the institutional existence of Syriac forces, while warning that constitutional and linguistic gains achieved under the Autonomous Administration have been revoked.

BETH ZALIN (QAMISHLI), Gozarto (Jazira) — The sixth Mardutho Festival, an annual celebration of Syriac heritage, music and folklore, concluded Saturday evening in Beth Zalin (Qamishli), bringing together cultural organizations, church representatives, government officials and members of the Syriac (Aramean-Assyrian-Chaldean) community. Held under the slogan “A heritage we carry, an identity we take pride in and a culture we plant in our generations,” the festival was organized under the patronage and supervision of the Syriac Cultural Association in Syria and the Hassakeh Directorate of Culture.

By The SyriacPress Editorial Team On 20 August 1926, the foundations of a new city were formally laid on the flat plain south of Nisibis (Nusaybin). Beth Zalin (Qamishli) would become one of the most important centers of Suroyo (Syriac–Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) life in northeastern Syria. In the Suroyo tradition, civilization (mdinoyutho), is closely associated with urban life and the city.

BETH ZALIN, Syria — Following the success of its previous five editions, the Syriac Cultural Association in Syria is preparing to hold the sixth Mardutho Cultural Festival in Hasakah and Zalin (Qamishli), bringing together members of the Suroyo (Syriac–Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) community in the Gozarto (Jazira) region. The two-day festival will take place on 11 September, at the Cultural Center in Hasakah, followed by an event on 12 September, at the Syriac Orthodox Mor Gabriel Hall in Beth Zalin.

BETH ZALIN (QAMISHLI), Gozarto (Jazira) — A delegation from Syria’s General Authority for Civil Aviation and Air Transport visited Qamishli International Airport to assess the progress of rehabilitation works as the facility enters the final stages of preparations for a possible return to service. The delegation was led by Abdullah Darwish, director of the Authority’s Support and Supply Directorate, and included officials from the Safety, Aviation Security and Air Navigation departments.

BRUSSELS — On 20 August 2026, an event was held to mark the centenary of the city of Beth Zalin (Qamishli), attended by politicians, Kurdish figures, and representatives of the Syrian government, but with no participation or representation of the Syriac people. The absence angered several Syriac political parties, institutions and figures, who stressed that the Syriacs are among the city’s founders and early active contributors, as well as major contributors to its cultural, artistic, industrial, agricultural, political, religious and architectural heritage.

By Ablahad Hanna Saka  On the centenary of the founding of Beth Zalin (Qamishli), there is a need to pause and reflect on the city’s history, not to revive disputes or provoke sensitivities, but to uphold fairness and recognize the role of those who contributed to its founding and shaped its present. Beth Zalin is not simply a city that emerged on the margins of history.

BETH ZALIN, Syria — The Syriac Union Party (Gabo d’Ḥuyodo Suryoyo, SUP) commemorated the 13th anniversary of the enforced disappearance of Syriac political leader Saeed Malki at an event in Beth Zalin (Qamishli), attended by representatives of institutions of the Bethnahrin National Council (Mawtbo Umthoyo d’Bethnahrin, MUB), national parties and members of the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) community. The event began with a minute of silence in tribute to the souls of the martyrs, followed by a…

BEIRUT — On the 13th anniversary of the abduction and disappearance of Syriac political figure Saeed Malki, deputy head of the Syriac Union Party in Syria (SUP), the Universal Syriac Union Party (USUP) called on the current Syrian government to help uncover his fate and whereabouts. Malki was abducted by the State Security apparatus of the Baathist regime of Bashar al-Assad at Qamishli International Airport on 12 August 2013.

BETH ZALIN, Syria — Beth Zalin (Qamishli) District Director Dr. Jihan Saeed Hassam held an official meeting with a delegation from Beth Zalin Municipality to discuss plans for improving the city's public services and urban development, as well as ongoing preparations to mark the centenary of the city’s founding. The two sides reviewed strategic plans and field projects aimed at enhancing public services and upgrading infrastructure, while stressing the importance of strengthening coordination among the relevant institutions to ensure a better response to residents' needs and improve the quality of services provided.

BETH ZALIN, Syria — The Zalin Summer Festival 2026 officially opened on Tuesday in the city of Beth Zalin (Qamishli), Syria, bringing together more than 200 companies and manufacturers from across Syria and several countries, including China. The event is being held at Azadi Park and attracted large crowds on its opening day. The festival’s first day featured exhibitions showcasing products from participating companies across a wide range of sectors, alongside an entertainment program that included a concert by Syrian singer Omar Souleyman, as well as various musical and artistic performances that drew large numbers of visitors.

BETH ZALIN, Syria — On 20 August 2026, the city of Beth Zalin (Qamishli), Syria, will enter its second century, marking 100 years since its official founding. The milestone is closely tied to the sweeping transformations that reshaped Syria's Gozarto (Jazira) region and to the rise of a city that has become one of the foremost cultural and urban centers in northeastern Syria.

BETH ZALIN, Syria — A delegation from the Syriac Union Party (Gabo d’Ḥuyodo Suryoyo, SUP) visited the Beth Zalin (Qamishli) District Directorate in Gozarto (Jazira), Syria, where it met with District Director Dr. Jihan Saeed Hassam. The visit was intended to congratulate Hassam on her recent appointment by the Syrian government and to discuss a range of issues concerning the region, as well as ways to strengthen cooperation.

BETH ZALIN, Syria — Ahmad al-Hilali, Deputy Governor of Hasakah and spokesperson for the Presidential Team, accompanied by Director of the Semalka border crossing Hamoud al-Hamoud, conducted a field inspection of the Beth Zalin–Nisibis (Qamishli–Nusaybin) border crossing to review the progress of ongoing preparations for its planned reopening and operation. During the visit, the delegation assessed the various stages of site preparation, including mine clearance, site cleaning, and the completion of engineering surveys.

BETH ZALIN, Syria — A delegation from the Syriac Cultural Association visited Bishop Joseph Shamie on 26 July 2026 to congratulate him on the ordination of Fr. Michael Touma as a priest of the Syriac Catholic Church. During the visit, the two sides held a cordial meeting in which they emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation and coordination between the association and the Church in serving young people and the wider community.

NISIBIS, Turkey / BETH ZALIN, Syria — Recent official statements and discussions have increasingly pointed to plans by Syria and Turkey to reopen the Nisibis–Beth Zalin (Nusaybin–Qamishli) border crossing. The head of the Mrde (Mardin) Chamber of Commerce, Hatip Çelik, confirmed that the Turkish side is fully prepared to reopen the crossing, but stressed that this depends on reaching an understanding between the Syrian government and the Democratic Autonomous Administration of the Region of North and East Syria (DAARNES).