Syrian pound

The Syrian pound, also known as the Syrian Lira (in Arabic ليرة سورية, suriyya lyre or simply ليرة, lira, pl. ليرات, lirat) is the currency ofSyria.  The code ISO 4217 is used abbreviations LS and SYP and £ S, among others.  Traditionally been divided into 100 piasters (قرش, qirx, pl. قروش, quruix), but now, due to inflation, the fraction is no longer used.

Before the First World War ,Syriawas part of theOttoman Empireand the currency was the lira .  Following the fall of the Empire, the currency in use became the Egyptian pound in 1918 .  In taking control of Syria and Lebanon , the French replaced the Egyptian pound to a new currency for both countries, the Syrian pound, fixed exchange rate with respect to the French franc at a rate of 20 francs per pound Syria.  In 1937 ,Syriabegan to mint its own currency, as detached from the Lebanese , although at first they were interchangeable.  For many years, however, that both currencies were separate, as shown by the fact that today the Syrian pound is 30 times stronger than the Lebanese.

Issued by the Central Bank of Syria (مصرف سورية المركزي, Màsraf Suriyya al-Markaz) on circulating coins of 1, 2, 5, 10 and 25 pounds, and notes 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1,000 pounds (the previous notes 5, 10 and 25 pounds have been replaced with coins).