Syrian DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Syria · West Asia
Syria lies between the Mediterranean coast, Anatolia and Mesopotamia, and its genetic profile draws on all three. In our model, the Syrian average is 25.8% Anatolian Neolithic farmer, 21.5% Iranian Neolithic farmer, 19.0% Natufian, 11.9% Levantine Neolithic farmer, 11.0% Caucasus hunter-gatherer, 9.0% steppe and 1.8% West African. Ancient DNA shows that by the Bronze Age the peoples of the northern Levant and Upper Mesopotamia already combined local farmer ancestry with Zagros and Caucasus-related ancestry, a blend that still underlies the region's populations today. The closest modern averages are Lebanese Sunni Muslims from Beirut and Syrian Arabs from Aleppo and Damascus, all at very close distances, followed by Lebanese Sunni Muslims from Tripoli and Iraqi Arabs. The closest ancient group is a Parthian to Roman-era population from Nevali Cori in southeastern Turkey (0.0322), followed by Roman-era individuals with a Levantine or Mesopotamian profile from Sicily and Rome, and an Achaemenid-era group from Bakr Awa in Iraq.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Anatolian Neolithic farmers 25.8%, Iranian Neolithic farmers 21.5%, Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant) 19.0%
- Closest modern population in our data: Lebanese Sunni Muslim (Beirut), distance 0.0109
- Closest ancient group in our data: Turkey Mesopotamia Parthian-Roman Empire Nevali Cori (Syrio-Mesopotamian Profile), distance 0.0322
This page sums up what the DNA of the Syrian sample tells us about deep origins. It is built from the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of individuals sampled in Syria, and it is one of 335 populations in our atlas. An average describes the group as a whole, not any single person in it.
Ancient make-up of the Syrian average
Modelled as a mix of deep ancestral reference populations, the Syrian average comes out as 25.8% Anatolian Neolithic farmers, 21.5% Iranian Neolithic farmers and 19.0% Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant). The Anatolian Neolithic farmers component reflects the Neolithic farmers of Anatolia, who carried agriculture into Europe from about 6500 BC. The Iranian Neolithic farmers share (21.5%) reflects the early farmers and herders of the Zagros mountains in Iran. No single source dominates, so the profile is best read as a balanced blend of several ancient ancestries.
Smaller traces of West African (under 5%) also appear. At that level they can reflect real minor ancestry, but also simple model noise, so they should not be over-read. The model fits well (fit distance 0.022), so these proportions are a reasonable summary. The model draws on West Eurasian ancient genomes, with modern West African and East Asian stand-ins.
Ararat – Levant & Caucasus Report
Closest modern populations to Syrian
Ranking every modern population by genetic distance puts Lebanese Sunni Muslim (Beirut) first for Syrian, at 0.011, then Syrian Arab (Aleppo, Levantine Profile) and Syrian Arab (Damascus, Levantine Profile). Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Lebanese Sunni Muslim (Beirut) (0.011), Lebanese Arab Muslim Sunni (Beirut) (0.014) and Lebanese Arab Muslim Sunni (Tripoli) (0.017). Even the tenth closest, Palestinian Arab Muslim, is only 0.027 away: Syrian belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lebanese Sunni Muslim (Beirut) | 0.0109 | Very close |
| 2 | Syrian Arab (Aleppo, Levantine Profile) | 0.0112 | Very close |
| 3 | Syrian Arab (Damascus, Levantine Profile) | 0.0119 | Very close |
| 4 | Lebanese Arab Muslim Sunni (Beirut) | 0.0141 | Very close |
| 5 | Lebanese Arab Muslim Sunni (Tripoli) | 0.0169 | Very close |
| 6 | Lebanese (Muslim) | 0.0194 | Very close |
| 7 | Iraqi Arab | 0.0242 | Very close |
| 8 | Iraqi Arab (Syrio-Mesopotamian Arab Profile) | 0.0255 | Close |
| 9 | Iraqi Arab (Central) | 0.0264 | Close |
| 10 | Palestinian Arab Muslim | 0.0269 | Close |
Distances are Euclidean distances between averaged G25 coordinates. On our scale, below 0.025 is very close, below 0.050 close, below 0.080 moderate, and beyond that distant.
Closest ancient populations to Syrian
Among ancient genomes, the closest match to the modern Syrian average is Turkey Mesopotamia Parthian-Roman Empire Nevali Cori (Syrio-Mesopotamian Profile) (Parthian era, c. 250 BC-224 AD), at 0.032, followed by Italy Sicily Roman Empire Marsala (Levantine Profile) and Italy Lazio Roman Empire Rome (Mesopotamian Profile). That is a close match: much of the modern profile was already present then, while later movements of people added further layers. A close ancient match is not proof of direct descent: it means those individuals carried a similar overall mix of ancestry.
| # | Ancient sample or group | Period | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Turkey Mesopotamia Parthian-Roman Empire Nevali Cori (Syrio-Mesopotamian Profile) | Parthian era, c. 250 BC-224 AD | 0.0322 |
| 2 | Italy Sicily Roman Empire Marsala (Levantine Profile) | Roman era, c. 1-400 AD | 0.0346 |
| 3 | Italy Lazio Roman Empire Rome (Mesopotamian Profile) | Roman era, c. 1-400 AD | 0.0380 |
| 4 | Iraq Achaemenid Bakr Awa (Mesopotamian Profile) | Achaemenid era, c. 550-330 BC | 0.0388 |
| 5 | Turkey Mesopotamia Achaemenid Batman (Mesopotamia BA Profile) | Achaemenid era, c. 550-330 BC | 0.0403 |
| 6 | Italy Lazio Roman Republic Tarquinia (Mesopotamian Profile) | Roman Republic, c. 500-27 BC | 0.0414 |
| 7 | Bahrain Late Antiquity-Early Medieval | Late Antiquity to Early Medieval, c. 250-1000 AD | 0.0417 |
| 8 | Turkey Mesopotamia Early Medieval Dara (Mesopotamian Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0423 |
| 9 | Turkey Levant Kilis Early-High Medieval (Mixed Near Eastern Profile) | Early to High Medieval, c. 500-1300 AD | 0.0426 |
| 10 | Iran IA Dinkha Tepe (Mesopotamian BA Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0435 |
Ancient DNA from Syria
Our ancient DNA database holds 51 individuals excavated in present-day Syria, dated from about 7,450 BC to 1222 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are J1a (6), E1b (3) and G2a (1), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are K (7), R0 (5) and J1 (4). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Syrian population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
| Haplogroup | Individuals | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| J1a | 6 | ETM012 ETM005 ETM001 |
| E1b | 3 | ETM010 CGG_2_101879 CGG_2_101880 |
| G2a | 1 | ETM018 |
| L1b | 1 | CGG_2_101883 |
| T | 1 | ETM021 |
| T1a | 1 | ETM026 |
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 51 from Syria.
Compare yourself with Syrian
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Syrian average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Syrian and its neighbours. To find out which of our reports actually fits your DNA, run the free Report Finder: it runs the same fit test that every report uses before an order.
No G25 coordinates yet? Get a free simulated G25 from your raw DNA file, or order G25 coordinates.
About these numbers
A word of caution: these figures describe the average of the Syrian individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Syrian. Individuals vary around that average, and identity is about history, language and family, not about a genetic score. Read this page as a map of deep ancestry, not as a definition.
Method: averaged G25 coordinates, Euclidean distances to other modern and ancient averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations (data generated 2026-10-01). Read the full method.
Go deeper than the average
This page describes the Syrian average. Your own DNA has its own story: Ararat – Levant & Caucasus Report (15€) models your genome against the ancient sources and modern communities of the region, era by era, in a personal PDF report.
A report built for people of Levant or Caucasus ancestry: ancient regional core (Levant Iron Age, Caucasus Hunter-Gatherer, Kura-Araxes Bronze Age) versus non-regional outside admixture, across 13 communities (Maronite, Druze, Sunni...
More populations from West Asia
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Syrian?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Syrian average is about 25.8% Anatolian Neolithic farmers, 21.5% Iranian Neolithic farmers and 19.0% Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant). These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Syrian?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Syrian Arab (Aleppo, Levantine Profile)), the closest modern populations to the Syrian average are Lebanese Sunni Muslim (Beirut), Lebanese Arab Muslim Sunni (Beirut) and Lebanese Arab Muslim Sunni (Tripoli). The closest ancient matches are Turkey Mesopotamia Parthian-Roman Empire Nevali Cori (Syrio-Mesopotamian Profile), Italy Sicily Roman Empire Marsala (Levantine Profile) and Italy Lazio Roman Empire Rome (Mesopotamian Profile).
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Syrian?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Syrian average and to its neighbours. If you have G25 coordinates, paste them in the comparison box on this page to check that for free.
Which ExploreYourDNA report suits Syrian ancestry?
Ararat – Levant & Caucasus Report is our regional report for this part of the world. On the Syrian average its fit test reads partial, so check your own DNA first: the free Report Finder runs that test on your file.
Where does the data on this page come from?
From the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the sampled individuals: genetic distances to other modern and ancient population averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations. The full method is described at https://www.exploreyourdna.com/populations#method.