{"id":20131,"date":"2025-07-11T17:37:44","date_gmt":"2025-07-11T17:37:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.watanserb.com\/en\/?p=20131"},"modified":"2025-07-11T17:42:16","modified_gmt":"2025-07-11T17:42:16","slug":"syrias-end-of-an-era-historic-damascus-cinema-evicted-amid-fears-of-cultural-clampdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.watanserb.com\/en\/2025\/07\/11\/syrias-end-of-an-era-historic-damascus-cinema-evicted-amid-fears-of-cultural-clampdown\/","title":{"rendered":"Syria\u2019s End of an Era: Historic Damascus Cinema Evicted Amid Fears of Cultural Clampdown"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><strong>Watan<\/strong><\/em>-A decision by Syria\u2019s Ministry of Religious Endowments to vacate a historic cinema building in the capital, Damascus, has stirred widespread backlash on social media. Activists have called for a protest sit-in on Friday evening, amid growing fears that the authorities may impose further restrictions on artistic and cultural activities.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1287\" data-end=\"1474\">On Thursday evening, the Damascus Endowments Directorate issued an official letter demanding that the heirs of the leaseholders of Al-Kindi Cinema vacate the property within one week.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1476\" data-end=\"1608\">The order stated: \u201cThe lease of Al-Kindi Cinema is terminated&#8230; for an annual rent of $30 for a space exceeding 700 square meters.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1610\" data-end=\"1910\">The directorate explained that it plans to \u201crehabilitate the property into a cultural center that radiates knowledge and science.\u201d However, many expressed fears that the move might be a prelude to tighter government control over cultural spaces in favor of religious and proselytizing activities.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1912\" data-end=\"2118\">The decision sparked mixed reactions. Some considered it a justified legal and financial correction in favor of the Endowments, while others viewed it as a threat to the cultural memory of the city.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2120\" data-end=\"2369\">Artists and writers took to social media, calling for a sit-in protest on Friday afternoon. They argued that converting the cinema into a \u201ccultural center\u201d erases part of Damascus\u2019s cultural identity and threatens public spaces for the arts.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2371\" data-end=\"2640\">Writer Ammar Al-Maamoun sarcastically commented on the decision, saying:\u201cAfter the ruqyah (Islamic exorcism) courses, the Ministry of Endowments decided to turn Al-Kindi Cinema into a cultural center,\u201d adding, \u201cIsn\u2019t cinema also light, color, and moving bodies?\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_18411\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-18411\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-18411 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.watanserb.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/111-1-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"A decision by Syria\u2019s Ministry of Religious Endowments to vacate a historic cinema building in the capital, Damascus, has stirred widespread backlash on social media. Activists have called for a protest sit-in on Friday evening, amid growing fears that the authorities may impose further restrictions on artistic and cultural activities.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.watanserb.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/111-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.watanserb.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/111-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.watanserb.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/111-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.watanserb.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/111-1-390x220.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.watanserb.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/111-1.jpg 1155w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-18411\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">President Ahmad Al-Sharaa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-start=\"2642\" data-end=\"2989\">On the other hand, some defended the decision, pointing out that the symbolic rent does not reflect the true market value of the property. They emphasized that many old Endowment contracts were rife with corruption and bribery, and noted that the cinema had been closed and neglected, no longer aligned with the current cinematic movement.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2991\" data-end=\"3221\">The cinema building is located in Damascus\u2019s commercial and cultural heart, near the famous Havana Caf\u00e9, the historic Hijaz Railway Station, and the Halabouni book market, along with several other historic cinemas.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3223\" data-end=\"3464\">Al-Kindi Cinema was established in the 1960s, in an area that once thrived with publishing houses, libraries, and artistic activity. In recent years, however, it has become semi-abandoned, hosting only occasional cultural events.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3466\" data-end=\"3744\">This decision comes during a transitional phase in Syria following the fall of the Assad regime, amid rising concerns over the increasing influence of conservative religious ideologies that may shrink the already narrow margin for artistic and cultural freedoms.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_10630\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10630\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-10630 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.watanserb.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Syria-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"This decision comes during a transitional phase in Syria following the fall of the Assad regime, amid rising concerns over the increasing influence of conservative religious ideologies that may shrink the already narrow margin for artistic and cultural freedoms.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.watanserb.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Syria-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.watanserb.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Syria-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.watanserb.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Syria-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.watanserb.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Syria.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-10630\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bashar al-Assad Regime<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-start=\"3746\" data-end=\"4051\">Since the regime\u2019s fall, most regular artistic events at the Damascus Opera House have ceased, including theater, music, and contemporary dance performances. Only two musical concerts have been held, while the venue has since been used primarily for religious events and official celebrations.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4053\" data-end=\"4351\">Public anxiety has increased in the capital following a wave of assaults on nightclubs and recreational venues, along with violations of personal freedoms by security personnel or unofficial groups. Authorities, however, continue to describe these incidents as \u201cisolated personal acts.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Watan-A decision by Syria\u2019s Ministry of Religious Endowments to vacate a historic cinema building in the capital, Damascus, has stirred widespread backlash on social media. Activists have called for a protest sit-in on Friday evening, amid growing fears that the authorities may impose further restrictions on artistic and cultural activities. On Thursday evening, the Damascus &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20132,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[6471,1788,67],"class_list":["post-20131","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-al-kindi-cinema","tag-damascus","tag-syria"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.6 (Yoast SEO v27.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Syria\u2019s End of an Era: Historic Damascus Cinema Evicted Amid Fears of Cultural Clampdown - Watan<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Syrian Endowments Ministry has ordered the eviction of Damascus\u2019s historic Al-Kindi Cinema to convert it into a cultural center\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, 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