Saydnaya: In Syria, a legacy of pain looking for an honorable cleansing

Saydnaya is also a historical city with a rich heritage and a legacy of harmony among its people

Originally published on Global Voices

In the shadow of the fall of Bashar al-Assad, Syria stands at the precipice of a new chapter. For over a decade, the regime’s symbols of oppression haunted the collective memory of the Syrian people. Among these symbols, none is as chilling and emblematic of Assad’s brutality as Saydnaya Prison. Known to the world as the “human slaughterhouse,” its name became synonymous with systematic torture, mass executions, and the erasure of countless lives.

As someone whose family name, Alhames, is deeply rooted in Saydnaya, this dark association has been a heavy burden. Saydnaya is not merely a place of infamy; it is a historical city with a rich heritage and a legacy of harmony among its people.

Saydnaya (from the Syriac: ܣܝܕܢܝܐ), the place name, has also been thought to mean “Our Lady” and is a city located in the mountains, 1,500 meters (4,900 feet) above sea level, 27 km (17 miles) north of the city of Damascus in Syria. It is the home of a Greek Orthodox monastery traditionally held to have been founded by the Byzantine emperor Justinian I, and where a renowned icon of the Virgin Mary is revered by both Christians and Muslims to this day.

For those of us who cherish its beauty and history, the prison’s notoriety has been a painful stain on a proud identity. Today, however, as Syria begins to heal, we look toward transforming Saydnaya’s darkest chapter into a story of remembrance and renewal.

The horrors of Saydnaya Prison

Under Assad’s regime, Saydnaya Prison became a site of unimaginable cruelty. Testimonies from survivors and investigations by human rights organizations revealed a grim reality: detainees were subjected to torture, starvation, and execution in a systematic effort to crush dissent. The prison’s secrecy shielded its horrors, leaving families of the disappeared in agonizing uncertainty about their loved ones’ fates.

In 2017, reports from Amnesty International and other groups likened the prison to a “slaughterhouse,” where thousands were executed in chillingly routine hangings. The victims were often buried in mass graves, their identities erased, their stories silenced. For years, Saydnaya’s name evoked fear and grief, becoming a stark reminder of the regime’s capacity for inhumanity.

The people of Saydnaya: A burden of shame

For the residents of Saydnaya, including families like mine, the prison’s infamy has been a source of collective shame. Saydnaya is a city of remarkable history, home to ancient monasteries and a vibrant cultural legacy. It has been a place of coexistence where diverse communities have lived harmoniously for centuries. To see its name overshadowed by the atrocities of a regime we did not choose was heartbreaking.

Despite this, the people of Saydnaya have always been resilient. They understood that the prison’s horrors were not a reflection of their city’s identity but of a dictatorship that weaponized fear and violence. With the fall of Assad, the people of Saydnaya are ready to reclaim their city’s narrative, turning the page on a painful history.

For many families, including my own, the struggle for justice has come at a great personal cost. Several members of the Alhames family faced persecution for their political expressions and outspoken criticism of the regime. Forced into exile, some sought refuge in The Hague, Netherlands, leaving behind their homes, their livelihoods, and the familiarity of their homeland.

The pain of deportation was immense — being uprooted from Saydnaya, a place we hold dear, and thrust into an unfamiliar world as a consequence of standing for justice. Despite the hardships, exile also strengthened our resolve to fight for a Syria where no one would have to endure such sacrifices for speaking the truth.

Today, as the regime falls, those sacrifices are validated, and the dream of returning to a free Syria becomes a tangible reality.

A vision for transformation

One of the most profound ways to honor the victims of Saydnaya Prison is to transform the site into a museum dedicated to their memory, envisioning this transformation as a testament to the resilience of the Syrian people and a powerful reminder of the consequences of tyranny.

A museum at Saydnaya would preserve the Truth, educate future generations, promote reconciliation, and, most importantly, reclaim Saydnaya’s identity by turning a site of horror into a place of learning and remembrance. The museum would help restore Saydnaya’s reputation as a city of history and culture.

As Syrians, we have always taken pride in our cities and their unique identities. Saydnaya’s reputation should reflect its historical significance, its contributions to Syrian culture, and the resilience of its people. By reclaiming and celebrating this heritage, we can move beyond the shadows of the past.

Written by Rami Alhames