Martyrs' Day (Lebanon and Syria)

Martyrs' Day
عيد الشهداء
Observed bySyrians and Lebanese
TypeNational
SignificanceSyrian and Lebanese nationalists executed in Damascus and Beirut by the Ottomans
ObservancesFlowers, moment of silence
Date6 May
Next time6 May 2026 (2026-05-06)
Frequencyannual

Martyrs' Day (Arabic: عيد الشهداء) is a Syrian and Lebanese national holiday commemorating the Syrian and Lebanese Muslim-Christian Arab nationalists executed in Damascus and Beirut on 6 May 1916 by Jamal Pasha, also known as 'Al Jazzar' or 'The Butcher', the Ottoman wāli of Greater Syria. They were executed in both the Marjeh Square in Damascus and Burj Square in Beirut. Both plazas have since been renamed Martyrs' Square.