Syria wants burkinis on public beaches, official denies ban on Western beachwear

Syria's Islamist-led government has said women should wear burkinis or other swimwear that covers the body on public beaches, though an official denied there was any ban on Western beachwear and said the decision was misunderstood.

The decision marks the first time Syrian authorities have issued guidelines related to what women can wear since Bashar al-Assad was toppled and Sunni Islamists took power in Damascus, after more than 13 years of civil war.

While interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has promised to protect freedoms in the new Syria and an interim constitution guarantees women's rights, any move to enforce dress codes would be seen as a shift towards more conservative rule.

The tourism ministry decree, dated June 9, said that visitors to public pools and beaches should wear "appropriate swimwear that respects public decency and the feelings of different segments of society".

It calls for "more modest swimsuits" and specifies "the burkini or swimming clothes that cover the body more".

It offered an exception for hotels classed as four-star 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".

Ghiath al-Farrah, assistant minister for tourism, said the decision had not banned Western beachwear from public beaches.

"Those who want to enter wearing Western clothing are allowed, but we allowed the burkini to cater to a large segment of society," he told Reuters, adding that the burkini had previously been banned in some places.

"The word 'prohibited' is not mentioned in the decision at all," he said, adding that it was not a presidential decree and could be amended at the end of the season.

The government's decision, signed by the tourism minister, said that at public beaches women should wear a cover or a loose robe over their swimwear when moving between the beach and other areas.

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.

Mahmoud Toron, an analyst close to the government, criticised the decision, saying he would have left swimming pools and beaches alone. "We are not lacking controversial issues amidst these turbulent storms," he wrote on X.

The guidelines were part of a wider decree that included public safety guidelines ahead of the summer season, such as not spending too long in the sun and avoiding jellyfish.

During the Assad family's iron-fisted rule, which was shaped by secular Arab nationalism, the state issued no directives about dress codes on public beaches, though people often dressed modestly, reflecting conservative norms.

Since Assad was toppled, fliers have appeared urging women to cover up, but the government has issued no directives ordering them to observe conservative dress codes.