Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa performed the dawn prayer marking Liberation Day at the Umayyad Mosque in central Damascus, in a ceremony attended by large crowds and senior officials.
Following the prayer, President Sharaa delivered an address on the first anniversary of Syria’s liberation, reaffirming his commitment to rebuilding a united and sovereign nation.
“In the name of God,” he said, “from north to south and from east to west, we will restore Syria’s strength. We will build a country worthy of its present and its past—worthy of the ancient civilisation that Syria embodies. We will rebuild through obedience to God, through championing the oppressed, and through establishing justice among all people.”
He continued: “No one—no matter how powerful—will stand in our way. No obstacle will deter us. Together, we will confront every challenge, God willing.”
A Gift from Saudi Arabia
The president also recalled his first foreign trip after liberation, which took him to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
“After God granted us a clear victory,” he said, “our first official visit was to our brothers in the Kingdom. On that day, we chose to begin by visiting the Sacred House of God, to give thanks and perform the ‘umrah. God honoured us by allowing us to enter the Kaaba and pray inside it.”
According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), Sharaa revealed that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman presented him with a gift during that visit—a piece of the Kaaba’s ornate covering (the kiswa).
The president announced that the sacred piece would be placed permanently in the Umayyad Mosque.
“We chose for this blessed piece to reside here,” he said, “so that nations may be united, and the bonds of affection between Mecca and the lands of al-Sham may be strengthened. And we chose to inaugurate it in the very first moments of our victory’s anniversary.”
Leading the Prayer and Symbolic Imagery
Syrian state television reported that President Sharaa led the dawn prayer himself, accompanied by several ministers, including the Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management, the Minister of Religious Endowments, and the Governor of Damascus.
On social media, activists resurfaced footage of Sharaa’s address at the Umayyad Mosque one year earlier, when military operations first entered the capital. Notably, the president appeared today in the same military uniform—now widely referred to online as the “Victory Uniform.”
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
