The official aspect of Syrian culture has been for long shaped and controlled by wizarat al-thaqafa, or the Ministry of Culture in a country whose government for long prided itself as culturally progressive. The history of this important government department reflects the political developments of the country, and the cultural activities and materials it produces deeply influence the intellectual development of Syrian society. I argue in this article that even though the Ministry is part of the Syrian government and regime, it attempts to be a more independent and democratic enterprise that produces a great deal of cultural resources and allows artistic and intellectual spaces for the Syrian public. Many Syrian voices of dissent were provoked by the performance of the Ministry which is often viewed as an extension of the leading Ba’ath Party and its outdated literature and ideologies. This Ministry has impacted for decades the culture of Syria, where being sponsored by the regime implies often serving it exclusively. Through it, the regime attempted to control public and private media outlets and the educational system to pass its discourse to the public. This paper shows that the Ministry of Culture has sometimes successfully escaped serving as a mouthpiece for the party. Its role in Syrian cultural development goes beyond offering legitimation to the regime in exchange for institutional support. It also aims to demonstrate how the way we view and understand cultural outputs in Syria enables us to comprehend the complexities of the country.