Interviews by Al Rayyan team

Al Rayyan is the name of a mountain that surrounds As Suwayda and is 1,680 meters high. It symbolizes the abundance of springs and fertile land.

More than 300 years ago, grapes were planted, the only type of tree in the vicinity of this mountain. After that, people started making raisins, molasses, vinegar, and wine from them. Thirty years ago, a factory was built to produce arak, and this factory was named (Al Rayyan), after the name of our mountain, and we are the children of this mountain.

Al Rayyan naturally has fertile land. The abundant rainfall promoted the cultivation of rain-dependent crops such as wheat, chickpeas, barley, and fodder crops. During harvest season, the people on the mountain helped each other with manual harvesting.

The meaning of Al Rayyan in Arabic is full and drenched with vitality, and it symbolizes the abundance of springs and fertility.

The Al Rayyan team consists of residents who are rebuilding As Suwayda in a remarkable way, after years of dictatorship and recent violence by militias supported by Syria’s new, temporary government.

On these pages, you will find interviews that the team has conducted with residents involved in local initiatives.