What is the currency of Syria?

The currency of Syria is the Syrian pound.

The currency is also commonly called the Syrian lira, reflecting the Arabic name al-līra al-sūriyya. It is issued by the Central Bank of Syria and uses the ISO code SYP. The pound is nominally divided into 100 piastres, although modern everyday transactions have largely relied on banknotes rather than piastre coins.

The modern currency emerged after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. A pound was introduced in 1919, and a shared Syro-Lebanese pound circulated during the French Mandate before Syria and Lebanon developed separate currencies. Older notes used Arabic and French; later Syrian notes included English on their reverses.

A common mix-up is the Turkish lira, which is the currency of Turkey and has also circulated in some areas of northern Syria. The Lebanese pound is another close-sounding but distinct currency. Syria’s currency is often abbreviated LS, SP, or ل.س, while its value and exchange arrangements have changed substantially during the country’s long economic and political crises.