Martyrs' Day in Lebanon Date in the current year: May 6, 2025
Martyrs' Day is an official remembrance day in Lebanon. It is observed annually on May 6 to commemorate the Lebanese and Syrian nationalists executed in Beirut and Damascus on this day in 1916.The territory of present-day Lebanon and Syria had been ruled over by the Ottoman Empire from 1516 to 1918. It was part of the so-called Greater Syria. Following the Young Turk revolution of 1908, Arab nationalism in Greater Syria began to gain momentum.
Arab intellectuals and politicians demanded greater autonomy for the Ottoman Arab provinces. Various public and secret societies began to emerge. Unfortunately, when Jamal Pasha was appointed with full powers in military and civilian affairs in Syria, things changed. He began to suppress Arab nationalist movement. Known for his harshness, Jamal Pasha was nicknamed “The Butcher”.
On May 6, 1916, 21 Arab nationalists were simultaneously publicly executed in Beirut and Damascus for alleged anti-Turkish activities by Jamal Pasha's order. This eventually led to the Arab revolt. The date of execution is now commemorated as Martyr's Day in Lebanon. The remembrance day used to be a public holiday in Syria, but it was canceled after the fall of Ba'athist regime .
- Category
- Anniversaries and Memorial Days
- Country
- Lebanon
- Tags
- Martyrs' Day in Lebanon, holidays in Lebanon, remembrance days, memorial days