The Tomb of Yusuf al-Azma at Maysalun

28 kilometres northwest of Damascus, near Khan Maysalun on the old Damascus–Beirut carriage road, is a grove. Inside it are the Maysalun Martyrs’ Cemetery and the tomb of Yusuf al-Azma. Al-Azma was killed on 24 July 1920 at the Battle of Maysalun, commanding Syrian forces against the French army. He was minister of war of the Arab Kingdom of Syria and is remembered as the first Arab defence minister to die in battle. The tomb was built in the 1930s.

Before you go

It has not been confirmed whether the tomb is freely open today or whether the site is under military protocol. Being on the Beirut road, it is easy to add to a trip to Zabadani or the Barada valley. Even so, check access before you set out and again at the gate.

What to see

The tomb stands in a shaded grove. It has been repaired often, but most of the original structure survives. The triangular roof of the sarcophagus is carved with Zulfiqar, the two-pointed sword of Ali. The grave is not alone; the ground around it is known as the cemetery of those who died in the battle. Nearby Khan Maysalun was the inn and stopping place on the old road.

The battle and the memorial

France had been given Syria as a mandate and did not recognise Emir Faisal’s government in Damascus. As French troops advanced on Damascus from Lebanon, al-Azma met them at the Maysalun pass with a force of volunteers, former Ottoman officers and Bedouin horsemen. He was killed, his men scattered, and the French entered Damascus on 25 July 1920. Despite the defeat, al-Azma became a national hero. A memorial ceremony is held at his grave every 24 July. The 1932 ceremony is documented: flowers were laid, and Hani Jalal, head of the Damascus merchants’ association, spoke at the graveside.

Who lies in the tomb

An article in the newspaper Kassioun claims the tomb is symbolic, that the French removed the bodies and that al-Azma’s remains are not inside. No other source confirms this. The official account and the yearly ceremony treat the grave as al-Azma’s burial place.

What most people miss

The Zulfiqar carving on the roof of the sarcophagus. On the way back into Damascus, stop at the statue in Yusuf al-Azma Square. The same man has two monuments: one in the city’s administrative centre, one at the pass where he died. Together they tell the summer of 1920.