Thursday, June 12, 2025 - Syria's new Islamist-led government has ordered women to wear burkinis or other swimwear that covers the body at public beaches and swimming pools, while permitting Western-style beachwear at private clubs and luxury hotels.
The tourism ministry's decision marks the first time the
Damascus authorities have issued guidelines related to what women can wear
since Bashar al-Assad was toppled in December.
Surprisingly, the ministry offered an exception for hotels
classed as four stars or above, and for private beaches, pools, and clubs,
saying 'normal Western swimwear' was generally permitted, 'with adherence to
public morals and within the limits of public taste'.
The new requirements were set out in a wider decree dated
June 9 which included public safety guidelines for beaches and swimming pools
ahead of the summer.
It said that beach-goers and visitors to public pools should
wear 'appropriate swimwear that respects public decency and the feelings of
different segments of society', requiring 'more modest swimsuits' and
specifying 'the burkini or swimming clothes that cover the body more'.
Women should wear a cover or a loose robe over their
swimwear when moving between the beach and other areas, it said.
Men should wear a shirt when not swimming, and are not
allowed to appear bare-chested 'in the public areas outside the swimming areas
- hotel lobbies or ... restaurants', it said.
The decree added that 'in public areas outside the beaches
and swimming pools', it was preferable to wear loose clothing that covers the
shoulders and knees and to avoid transparent or very tight clothing.
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