Death and state funeral of Hafez al-Assad
Hafez al-Assad, the 18th president of Syria, died from a heart attack on 10 June 2000 at the age of 69. His funeral was held three days later in Damascus, and he was buried in a mausoleum in his hometown Qardaha in Latakia Governorate, beside his eldest son Bassel al-Assad who died in 1994.
| External videos | |
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| Announcement on Syrian television relayed by Israeli television part 1 | |
| Announcement on Syrian television relayed by Israeli television part 2 |
Official portrait of Hafez al-Assad | |
| Date | 13 June 2000 |
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| Location | Damascus, Syria |
| Participants | Syrian officials and dignitaries from foreign countries |
He was succeeded by vice president Abdul Halim Khaddam in a caretaker capacity until presidential elections were held. Several national leaders paid tribute as the leader's body lay in state in the People's Palace.
Following Assad's death, 40 days of mourning was declared in Syria and 7 days in Lebanon. Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Palestine, Libya, Iran, Morocco, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Kuwait and Qatar announced three days of national mourning. His funeral was held three days later.