Fleeing the war, Syrian perfume makers were among the refugees to settle in Egypt. By 2015, they had established dozens of small shops in the streets of Cairo and Alexandria, bringing the scent of their homeland to the Egyptians.
Ever since the 12th century, Damascus, along with Baghdad, has been an important center for perfumes. Until the war, Syria was an important exporter of fragrance oils used for making perfumes and known as the home of the Rosa damascena. The perfumes of Syria, with their undertones of rose, patchouli, jasmine or bay leaves, became internationally known as the Damascene perfumes.