Fragile Peace in Syria's Set Zaynab as Sectarian Fears Linger

Damascus, Syria – Mohammad Sallouta, 47, sits outside his printing shop in Set Zaynab, south of Damascus, where he has worked for two decades.

“Security-wise, the area is 90 percent good,” he said. “But people are still afraid. It’s not 100 percent yet, so we are still waiting.”

Set Zaynab, home to the shrine of Sayyida Zaynab – granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammad and daughter of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the fourth caliph of Islam – was once a bustling tourist destination under Bashar al-Assad. Shia Muslim pilgrims, mainly from Iraq, would arrive in large numbers to visit the shrine. They filled hotels, frequented local cafes, and shopped.

But since the Assad regime collapsed in December 2024, the tourism industry has been decimated. Locals say some visitors, mostly from Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait, still come, usually in small groups. Iraqis rarely visit unless they are married to Syrians.

And questions remain about the stability and security of areas outside the capital Damascus, such as Set Zaynab.

The new Syrian government has thwarted ISIL (ISIS) attempts to attack Set Zaynab and recently arrested a network in the area that was allegedly planting bombs to explode during French President Emmanuel Macron’s July visit to Damascus.

In May, Shia cleric Farhan Hassan al-Mansour was assassinated by a car bomb. ISIL claimed responsibility for the attack.

After the fall of the Assad regime, there were fears that the site could come under attack as the war grew increasingly sectarian, with opposition groups – some now in government – predominantly from the Sunni Muslim community.

When an Al Jazeera reporter visited the Sayyida Zaynab shrine, Syrian security forces were present but not imposing at the entrance, and a handful of worshippers were praying.

Locals say the area is relatively safe but hesitate to encourage foreigners to visit now, although they expect security to improve further. They also speak openly about their religious identity and note easy coexistence between Shia and Sunni Muslims.

A Shia shop owner and former soldier described the hardships after Assad’s fall. His business has slumped. He painted a complex picture of life under the new government led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa. He said his brother, who works in the security forces, is treated well regardless of religious identity. Yet he himself is sometimes asked by strangers about his origin in Syria, which he believes is an attempt to determine his sect.

His biggest concern is the impact of over a decade of brutal war on society. “I don’t fear former colleagues with Sunni names,” he said. “I fear their sons, kids who left to fight at 14 and returned at 24 – my friends’ children hate Alawites or Shias.”

Set Zaynab and other areas with religious minority communities have been swept by security forces in recent months, with accusations that armed networks were operating. The government is dealing with groups linked to the former regime seeking to destabilise the new administration.

Back at Sallouta’s shop, he notes some improvements despite high energy costs and a weak local economy. Travel from central Damascus to Set Zaynab is much faster than under Assad because security checkpoints have disappeared. But without tourists, business is slow.

“The most important thing is security,” Sallouta said. “If that is resolved, everything else will return.”