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In a country that is known to be home of some of the most famous contemporary writers and poets in the Arab world, buying books has become a marginal issue for many Syrians, after the economic crisis severely reduced their incomes. “In the past, customers would ask about the book and pay for it immediately. Now, they ask about its price before buying it, to know if they can afford it or not,” said Omar Al-Nouri, owner of the famous Al-Nouri Bookshop:
A decade-old war in Syria has led to the closure of many bookstores that used to attract dozens of readers and reading enthusiasts. Today, the number of bookshops that have survived can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
