If you are driving, or in a taxi, public transport, in your office or a nearby cafe, Fairuz accompanies the start of your day. She is the morning breath for Syrians.

After more than two decades of absence from the Damascus stage, Fairuz has been back at the Syrian Opera House marking the start of a year of festivities celebrating the city as Capital of Arab Culture for 2008.

On the opening night, Fairuz told Dr Hanan Qassab Hassan, head of event organisers, that she felt it was a return to her second home.

The auditorium was packed, even though the public had already been told that the 70-something singer would be speaking her lines but miming to the songs.

"I have never seen such an audience in my life," she said.

The musical Sah el-Nom (Good Morning), a well-known political satire about an autocratic monarch that Fairuz performed in the 1970s, was warmly welcomed by the Syrian audience, which sang along with every word of Fairuz's songs like a trained chorus.

Fares Zahabi, 28, was in tears as he watched the performance, the fulfilment of a lifelong dream.

"I knew this play by heart since childhood. I depicted the scenes and the characters and repeated their words throughout my life.

"I couldn't believe it that I am seeing her live. I listen to Fairuz when I am in love and I am always in love."

Young audience

Young and old attended the short run of performances.

One of them, Naya al-Sawah, 8, knew almost every song and every play by heart.

She and her family didn't mind queuing up for more than three hours to buy their tickets.

Naya wrote a poem in Arabic to Fairuz after the performance, which included the heartfelt line: "You are very nice, Fairuz, I love your voice and I don't want you to die."

The last night of the run was dedicated for children and young with a specially discounted ticket prices.

Some at the earlier performances had seen Fairuz at the annual Damascus International Fair during the 1960s and 1970s.

Mrs Hafiza Khorshid Miqdadi, 80, had not wanted to attend, having been there at most of Fairuz's live shows in Damascus.

Yet her granddaughter encouraged her to go and share the joy with the audience.

"I was disappointed that she didn't sing live for Sham (Damascus), but still I was happy when I saw everyone around me emotionally taken by the scene."

Some anti-Syrian politicians in Lebanon had criticised Fairuz for going to Damascus, describing it as enemy territory in the grip of a brutal secret police force.

Just a few days into Fairuz's run, Syrian security services arrested the prominent pro-reform figure Riad Seif as part of a crackdown on dissidents that started last month.

Twelve other opposition activists of the so-called Damascus Declaration group have been arrested and charged with undermining the state.

But in a letter in Fairuz's own hand, a copy of which has been obtained by the BBC, the diva emphasised that her visit must be viewed on a cultural level.

"Damascus is not a cultural capital for this year only, but will remain a role model of art, culture and authenticity for the coming generations," she wrote to the organisers of the year-long festival.

By Lina Sinjab
BBC News, Damascus