Sednaya - صيدنايا

Sednaya Prison, located north of Damascus, is one of Syria’s most secretive and severe detention facilities. Designed to isolate and control, the prison is composed of underground cells, narrow corridors, heavy metal doors, and enclosed chambers built to suppress light, sound, and movement. Many dormitory doors are directly exposed to the outside, subjecting detainees to extreme cold, particularly during winter, when temperatures in the mountain environment drop sharply. Former detainees and human rights investigations have documented systematic torture and mass executions carried out within the prison, often following summary military proceedings. Its architecture enforces silence through depth, darkness, and confinement, with spaces that amplify echoes while erasing human presence. Sednaya stands as a physical structure shaped by violence, fear, and prolonged isolation.