Syrian 'Bab Al Hara' actor Muhammad Al Shammat dies aged 85

His career in television, cinema and theatre spanned more than five decades

Syrian actor Muhammad Al Shammat won regional acclaim for his role in the 1972 show Sah Al Noum. Photo: YouTube

Syrian actor Muhammad Al Shammat has died in the US aged 85.

The Syndicate of Artists in Damascus confirmed the Bab Al Hara star’s death.

Several of Al Shammat’s compatriots and artistic peers took to social media to mourn the actor, including Taim Hassan, Tolay Haroon, Tamader Ghanem and Sulaf Fawakherji.

"May God have mercy on the mighty artist Muhammad Al Shammat," Hassan wrote in an Instagram Story. "My condolences to his family and to all who loved him."

Fans of the actor also expressed their sorrow at his death.

"Abu Marzouk, may God have mercy on you," one fan wrote in Arabic on Twitter. "We have lost many pyramids of Syrian drama."

Born in 1936, Al Shammat began his artistic career in theatre, and was one of the first members of Syria’s National Theatre. However, it was the 1972 show Sah Al Noum that brought Al Shammat wider regional acclaim. The show featured several talents that would go on to become luminaries in Syrian comedy, including Duraid Lahham and Ghawar Al Tosha.

Al Shammat enjoyed a prolific career in television and cinema that spanned more than five decades. His small-screen works included the shows Harat Al Qasr, Wadi Al-Misk and Trabeesh.

However, the actor is perhaps best known for taking on the role of the vegetable seller Abu Marzouk in the show Bab Al Hara.