Syrian Real Estate Terms: A Glossary for Buyers and Expats

A glossary of Syrian real estate terms isn't a luxury — it's the first thing you need before any deal. Every property market has its own language, and Syria's is older and richer than most. If you grew up abroad — or you're buying for the first time — a session with a Syrian broker can feel like a vocabulary exam: green Tabu, Furugh, inheritance inventory, Musha', on-the-bone, super deluxe. This guide explains the real estate terms you'll actually hear in Syria, and why each one means something to an owner.

Tabu and the Land Registry

Tabu

The land registry itself — colloquially, the title deed. When Syrians ask "what's the Tabu situation?" they're asking how the property's ownership is registered. This is always the first question in any deal.

Green Tabu

Full, absolute ownership registered in the land registry — the strongest form of ownership in Syria, and the benchmark against which everything else is discounted. Property with a clean green Tabu sells at a premium, and for good reason.

Land Registry Statement (Bayan al-Qaid)

An official copy of the property's registry page: the owners and their shares, plus any mortgages, seizures, or lawsuit notices. A recent statement is the single most important document in any deal — and our ownership verification checklist explains how to read it.

Shares (Ashum)

The land registry divides full ownership of any property into 2,400 shares. You'll hear "he has 600 shares" — meaning a quarter. This matters enormously in inherited property, where several relatives may hold varying stakes.

Musha' (Undivided Co-ownership)

Shared, undivided ownership: several owners hold shares in the entire property, without any one of them owning a specific floor or corner. Buying a Musha' share without the agreement of the other co-owners is a classic trap — you own a percentage, not an apartment.

Furugh

The sale of usage or occupancy rights outside a full ownership transfer in the registry — long common in commercial property and some residential. Furugh deals are usually cheaper than their green-Tabu equivalents, but their legal protection is weaker; you need a lawyer, not a handshake.

Court Ruling

Ownership established by a court judgment instead of the standard registry procedure. Legitimate in many cases — but always have a lawyer confirm the ruling is final and properly registered.

Lawsuit Notice / Mortgage Notice

Annotations placed on the property's registry page. A lawsuit notice means someone is contesting rights in the property; a mortgage notice means it's collateral for a debt. The presence of either on the statement should halt the deal until it's resolved.

Inheritance and Legal Representation

Inheritance Inventory (Hasr Irth)

The official document identifying a deceased owner's heirs and their legal and religious shares. There's no safe sale of inherited property before it's issued — and every heir must sign or be properly represented.

Power of Attorney (Wakala)

The notarized authorization empowering someone to act on an owner's behalf — the backbone of expatriate transactions. It's arranged at a notary in Syria, or through Syrian embassies abroad; and because notarization and recognition procedures can change, verify the currently applicable process with the embassy or relevant authority. Scrutinize its scope and validity: a general power of attorney and a specific sale power of attorney are two different tools.

Land, Zoning, and Construction

Zoning / Zoning Plan (Tanzim)

The municipal plan that decides which land is residential and which is commercial or agricultural, and what may be built and where. The same plot is an entirely different asset depending on its zoning classification — verify it in writing before any land negotiation.

Agricultural Tabu

Land registered as agricultural. As a rule, you cannot legally build a home on it unless its classification is changed through zoning or it's brought within the zoning plan, no matter what the seller implies. Confusing agricultural and residential land is among the costliest mistakes in the market.

Subdivision (Ifraz)

The legal division of land or a building into independently owned units (lots). An unsubdivided apartment cannot be issued its own separate Tabu — you'd be buying shares, not a unit.

Building Permit

The municipality's authorization to build. In new projects, ask which stages specifically are permitted; unpermitted floors are exposed to demolition orders and registration problems. And alongside it: the violation (Mukhalafa) — building outside the permit or without one.

Property Condition and Finishing

On-the-Bone (Ala al-Azm)

An apartment delivered as a bare shell: structure and block walls, with no finishing at all. Very common in new Syrian construction — the buyer finishes it to their own taste.

Finishing (Iksa')

Everything that turns a shell into a home: plastering, flooring, kitchen, bathrooms, doors, electrical and plumbing rough-ins and fixtures. Listings classify it — standard finishing, deluxe, super deluxe — but these labels are marketing, not official standards: inspect the materials, not the adjectives.

Money and Closing the Deal

Deposit (Arboun)

The payment that reserves the deal. Put its terms in writing: the amount, what happens to it if either party backs out, and the final deadline for closing.

Broker / Real Estate Office

Brokerage rates and who pays them vary from one city, and one deal, to another — there's no single fixed rule, so agree the figure in writing before viewings get serious. And be wary of anyone who shies away from paperwork; our guide on avoiding real estate fraud lists the warning signs.

Khulu

A lump sum paid for occupancy rights — a concept from old-law rentals, still present in commercial and older contracts. If a "cheap" property comes your way with a sitting tenant, understand the Khulu question before anything else.

Old-Law / New-Law Rent

Leases under the old law grant the tenant strong, long-term rights; modern contracts are negotiable and fixed-term. A building "sold with tenants" is an entirely different purchase depending on which system applies to it.

Amperes (Ambeirat)

Private generator subscriptions sold by the ampere, powering homes during electricity cuts. Not a legal term — but a monthly line item every returning expatriate discovers fast, and one worth asking about when comparing buildings and neighborhoods.

Put This Language to Use

Once you own the vocabulary, the rest of the road gets much clearer. Continue with our first-time home buyer's guide in Syria, review the taxes and fees a buyer actually pays, and when you're ready, browse verified properties for sale and for rent on Aqaar Gate.