Syrian uprising begins in March 2011 as protests spread to Damascus

In March 2011, inspired by uprisings elsewhere in the Arab world, Syrians began taking to the streets to demand political freedoms, an end to corruption and the release of political prisoners. Early demonstrations drew particular attention in the southern city of Daraa, and protests soon spread to other cities, including the capital, Damascus.

President Bashar al-Assad's government responded with arrests, the deployment of security forces and the use of live fire against demonstrators. As the violence grew, armed opposition groups formed, and the confrontation gradually developed into a full-scale civil war involving many local and foreign actors.

The conflict killed hundreds of thousands of people, displaced millions inside and outside Syria, and destroyed large parts of the country's infrastructure. Public facilities, including sports venues and stadiums in and around Damascus, were damaged or fell into disuse during the years of fighting, which is why the war's start remains central to understanding the present state of places such as the Abbasiyyin Stadium.