Music of Syria

The music of Syria has developed in the wake of multiple eras of conquest and influences from surrounding cultures. Lying near Egypt and Israel, and connected to southern Europe by the Mediterranean, Syria became host to many distinct cultural musics through trade and route. Syrian music has been influenced by Bedouin nomadic tribes, the maqam system and geopolitical developments in the Middle East. It is typically performed by a singer accompanied by three or four instruments. The texture is thin but can become denser depending on the instrumentals. Music is tightly linked to poetry in Syria.