Constantly in the news for over ten years, Syria presents a face wounded by a never-ending war that hides its past power and wealth.

The recent war masks the Syria "from before," the Syria of Antiquity, Aleppo, Damascus, Palmyra, and, more recently, the heart of Arab nationalism. Under the Assad regime, the images are often caricatural: a secular State, a mosaic of communities, a modernizing president, collusion with Iran, a relentless fight against Israel… and the choice between "Bashar or the Islamic State." Manon-Nour Tannous invites us to go beyond the preconceived ideas of this major player in the Middle East.