Khaled Taja

Acting

Khaled Taja

Born — Died

1939-11-06 — 2012-04-04

Known for

Acting

Credits

56 titles

A Syrian actor of Kurdish origins, born in Damascus. At the age of eight he discovered that he was fond of drawing and fell in love with the imagination of the shadow. At the age of ten he began to frequently visit the seven theaters of Damascus, such as "Al-Nasr", "Al-Rasheed" and "Andalus". He starred in two theatrical works written and directed by one of his high school teachers. In 1956 he moved to the Free Theater troupe. He played a number of roles on stage, after which he moved on to writing and directing for theater. Among his works in this field is The Servants of the Rich, which he also co-starred in. He also wrote the play The Crazy, which did not see the light due to the bad fina…

Known for

Al Zeer Salem poster
8.2

Chronicling the Basus War between two Arabian tribes and their allies, the drama follows the emergence of renowned Arab figure, Al Zeer Salem.

Al Zeer Salem

2000

The Four Seasons poster
10.0

Damascus in the late 1990s. Kareem and Nabila are raising five very different daughters — each with her own personality, ambitions and complications — alongside a scene-stealing aunt Jamila. Every episode centres on a family issue that brings everyone together to argue, laugh and muddle through. Warm, witty and deeply rooted in Syrian daily life, it remains one of the most beloved family comedies in Syrian television history. Stars Jamal Suleiman and Khaled Taja.

The Four Seasons

1999

The Leader poster
8.0

In 1918 Damascus, after the downfall of the Ottoman Empire and before the French colonization of the country, six Damascene neighborhoods decide to choose one head to rule over them, only for clashes over the throne to crystalize and extend.

The Leader

2011

Al-Hout poster
NR

A drama series that tells the story of the coastal environment during the era of the French mandate in Syria, especially the environment of fishermen in light of the exploitation and greed of some people and the bitter struggle of others against the French occupier.

Al-Hout

2008

The Falcon of Quraish poster
9.3

When the Abbasids overthrow the Umayyad Caliphate in Damascus, slaughtering nearly the entire dynasty, one young prince escapes — Abd al-Rahman. Hunted across deserts and seas, he eventually reaches the fringes of the Muslim world and, through sheer will and political genius, founds a new Umayyad emirate in Andalusia. Written by Walid Seif and directed by Hatem Ali, this is the first chapter of their celebrated Andalusian trilogy — epic, human and historically meticulous.

The Falcon of Quraish

2002

Salah Al-Deen Al-Ayoubi poster
8.0

A sweeping historical epic tracing the life of Saladin from his humble origins to his unification of fractured Muslim kingdoms and his legendary recapture of Jerusalem from the Crusaders after nearly a century of occupation. Starring Jamal Suleiman and directed by the late Hatem Ali, written by Walid Seif — the same partnership behind Palestinian Alienation — this is widely regarded as one of the finest historical dramas in Arabic television, epic in scale yet deeply human in its portrayal of leadership, faith and sacrifice.

Salah Al-Deen Al-Ayoubi

2001

Film credits

1990s · 3 titles

1970s · 9 titles

Hamido's Return poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Hamido's Return

1971

A'rous min Demashq poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

A'rous min Demashq

1973

Men Under the Sun poster
NR

Three Palestinian men strive to escape the hardships of life in a refugee camp. Under the scorching sun, the men enlist the help of an old man, Abu Al-Khaizuran, to smuggle them in an empty water tank across the desert.

Men Under the Sun

1970

The Cheetah poster
5.0

Set in Syria in the early 1900s. A peasant has his land taken from him by the authorities. He gets imprisoned and beaten by the gendarme, but manages to escape to the mountains where starts a bloody struggle for revolution.

The Cheetah

1972

Ayam fi landan poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Ayam fi landan

1976

Shame: A Trilogy poster
NR

An anthology film that features three stories about the suffering of the people of the Syrian countryside in the time of feudalism; the first is about a poor peasant who falls victim to an agent of feudalism, the second is about a little girl, who has to get medicine for her feverish mother. As for the third story, it depicts the tools of feudalism in wresting the land from the peasants.

Shame: A Trilogy

1974

Forced Marriage poster
NR

Mona and her friend Suheir travel to Syria to meet her fiancé. Mona’s father requests the son of his friend Kamal residing in Syria to take care of his daughter Mona there, so he goes to her to meet and care for her so he gets to know Suhair and admire her. On the other side, events escalate as Salwa (to his heart), a client of a foreign country, tries to win over Dr. Khairat, the nuclear energy scientist, and tries to persuade him to go abroad again so that his country does not benefit from his knowledge.

Forced Marriage

1972

The Visitor poster
NR

Hamed tries to convince Nadia to impersonate Laila, the daughter of his wealthy uncle, to seize his money. Nadia agrees with him and begins setting her net on the wealthy uncle. However, she meets her ex-lover, Hassan, and tells him her story. Hamed discovers the predicament he is in, and his attempt to kill her fails.

The Visitor

1972

The Memory of a Night of Love poster
NR

Adel lives happily with his wife until he meets his ex-girlfriend, who works as a dancer. During her visit to his home, she faints and then he discovers that she has died. Adel is arrested and his wife is shocked, while his friend the police officer tries to find out the real killer.

The Memory of a Night of Love

1973

Series credits

Al Zeer Salem poster
8.2

Chronicling the Basus War between two Arabian tribes and their allies, the drama follows the emergence of renowned Arab figure, Al Zeer Salem.

Al Zeer Salem

2000

The Four Seasons poster
10.0

Damascus in the late 1990s. Kareem and Nabila are raising five very different daughters — each with her own personality, ambitions and complications — alongside a scene-stealing aunt Jamila. Every episode centres on a family issue that brings everyone together to argue, laugh and muddle through. Warm, witty and deeply rooted in Syrian daily life, it remains one of the most beloved family comedies in Syrian television history. Stars Jamal Suleiman and Khaled Taja.

The Four Seasons

1999

The Leader poster
8.0

In 1918 Damascus, after the downfall of the Ottoman Empire and before the French colonization of the country, six Damascene neighborhoods decide to choose one head to rule over them, only for clashes over the throne to crystalize and extend.

The Leader

2011

Al-Hout poster
NR

A drama series that tells the story of the coastal environment during the era of the French mandate in Syria, especially the environment of fishermen in light of the exploitation and greed of some people and the bitter struggle of others against the French occupier.

Al-Hout

2008

The Falcon of Quraish poster
9.3

When the Abbasids overthrow the Umayyad Caliphate in Damascus, slaughtering nearly the entire dynasty, one young prince escapes — Abd al-Rahman. Hunted across deserts and seas, he eventually reaches the fringes of the Muslim world and, through sheer will and political genius, founds a new Umayyad emirate in Andalusia. Written by Walid Seif and directed by Hatem Ali, this is the first chapter of their celebrated Andalusian trilogy — epic, human and historically meticulous.

The Falcon of Quraish

2002

Salah Al-Deen Al-Ayoubi poster
8.0

A sweeping historical epic tracing the life of Saladin from his humble origins to his unification of fractured Muslim kingdoms and his legendary recapture of Jerusalem from the Crusaders after nearly a century of occupation. Starring Jamal Suleiman and directed by the late Hatem Ali, written by Walid Seif — the same partnership behind Palestinian Alienation — this is widely regarded as one of the finest historical dramas in Arabic television, epic in scale yet deeply human in its portrayal of leadership, faith and sacrifice.

Salah Al-Deen Al-Ayoubi

2001

The Curse of Mud poster
NR

The series revolves around politics and corruption in 1980s Syria. An aspiring university student is forced to become a police officer and climb the political ladder, revealing bitter truths along the way.

The Curse of Mud

2010

ليس سراباً poster
NR

The show tells the story of a playwright, Jalal, who holds secular views, and his close friendship with Michel, his childhood friend. Michel initially worked as a lawyer but later transitioned to journalism, founding his own magazine in which he boldly addresses societal issues, drawing significant criticism. Additionally, the narrative explores themes of separating religion from civil and political life through a love story between a man and a woman from different faiths: Jalal (a Muslim) and Hanan (a Christian). Their relationship culminates in a secret marriage, which lasts until Jalal’s sudden passing. Throughout the story, the work focuses on two major issues related to secularism: the demand for a civil personal status law that permits civil marriage, and the call for a secular education system that allows students the freedom to seek their own truths instead of being indoctrinated with a predetermined "absolute truth." It also tackles issues of political and social corruption.

ليس سراباً

2008

Palestinian Alienation poster
9.5

The first comprehensive dramatic telling of the Palestinian Nakba, seen through the eyes of a poor rural family from the 1930s British Mandate era through the massacres of 1948 and the defeat of 1967. Written by Palestinian poet Walid Seif — based on his own family history — and directed by the late Syrian master Hatem Ali, this is widely considered one of the greatest Arab television dramas ever produced. A monumental work of collective memory, historical witness and human endurance.

Palestinian Alienation

2004

The End of a Brave Man poster
8.0

Mufid the monster, the naughty teenager, did not find anyone who knew how to deal with him properly, so he did not discover anyone around him and develop the good qualities that Mufid was distinguished for. The society in which he lived, starting from the harsh father at home, to the ignorant and arrogant teacher at school, to the mukhtar who punished him for cutting off the tail of Abboud's donkey... All of these were the cause of Mufid's loss and his premature end. As a result of this treatment, Mufeed could not bear to stay even for a single minute in the farm, so he ran away and decided never to return to this farm that caused him pain and persecuted him.

The End of a Brave Man

1994

Deer in the Wolves' Forest poster
7.0

Tells a story of corruption in Syria. A minister's son takes advantage of his position and wealth to derail the life of a poor family.

Deer in the Wolves' Forest

2006

Forbidden Bread poster
NR

The series revolves around the exploitation of women by men in society, through the stories of three friends—Rateb, Wahib, and Abu Adnan—who are involved in illegal activities, and the story of Zuhair, who exploits runaway girls in immoral activities.

Forbidden Bread

2010

Abu Janti (King of taxi/ King of lancer) poster
NR

Abu Janti — self-proclaimed "King of the Lancer" — is a Damascus taxi driver whose cab doubles as a confessional, comedy club and social mirror. Each episode brings a new passenger with a new story, and Abu Janti can't help but get involved. Written by and starring Samer El Masri, born from a beloved sketch on Spotlight (2003), this Syrian black comedy uses the taxi as a window into everyday Damascus life — funny, sharp and occasionally heartbreaking.

Abu Janti (King of taxi/ King of lancer)

2010

The Age of Shame poster
NR

Having spent most of her 20s taking care of her sick mother and her family's household, a sexually repressed woman elopes and has to face the hypocrisies of middle eastern society.

The Age of Shame

2009

Another Rainy Day poster
NR

The series discusses the living conditions of middle-class families by presenting the daily lives of a group of educated characters looking for job opportunities and self-fulfillment in the capital, Damascus, and it deals with the relationships between spouses, siblings, friends, and lovers, as well as between parents and children.

Another Rainy Day

2008

Love Has Decreed poster
7.0

The series discusses the stories of young university students, their reality during their studies, and the hardships and unknown fate they endure after graduation.

Love Has Decreed

2006

Ashtar poster
7.0

After her parents get divorced, Ishtar goes to live with her grandmother. When her grandmother passes away, she leaves the house to Ishtar , but her boyfriend tricks her into writing it over to him. She then goes to her aunt, who introduces her to the world of art through her voice.

Ashtar

2004

Holding Back Tears poster
NR

The series examines the change in the composition of the Syrian family, through the life of a number of Damascene families that are connected by a number of intertwining relationships, as love blossoms between the lawyer Riyad El Emary and the interior designer Riad El Merady.

Holding Back Tears

2005

Cordoba's Spring poster
9.3

The second chapter of the acclaimed Andalusian trilogy by Walid Seif and Hatem Ali. Set in the golden age of Umayyad Cordoba, it traces the extraordinary rise of Muhammad ibn Abi Amir — known as Al-Mansur — from a young scholar arriving in Cordoba seeking knowledge, to the most powerful man in Andalusia. A sweeping story of ambition, political genius and the glittering, fragile peak of Arab civilisation in Spain. Stars Taim Hassan and Jamal Suleiman.

Cordoba's Spring

2003

Akrekoz's Girls poster
NR

The story of the work revolves around four girls and their mothers waiting for their traveling father throughout the episodes of the series and they have a uncle, a former ministerial candidate with a good financial income. In each episode, the family is exposed to funny situations and exciting adventures within a funny family template.

Akrekoz's Girls

2003

Big Dreams poster
10.0

The Halaby family works in trade. When the father decides to write all his property over to one of his sons, the two brothers clash, until the eldest brother falls ill, and his younger son is forced to give up his ambition to take care of their business.

Big Dreams

2004

Houbara dance poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Houbara dance

1999

On the Edge of the Abyss poster
NR

Nader is lost between his parents, who are experiencing a struggle between love and hate, Lulia, who is persecuted by her stepmother, Dalal, whose hatred for her stepdaughter reaches the point of attempting murder. Dalal considers Lulia the reason for her unhappiness, but when Lulia leaves her life, she discovers her mistake. Tahseen her husband can only run away from problems and cannot solve any of them.

On the Edge of the Abyss

2007

Brothers of the Soil poster
NR

The series revolves around the Arab Revolt that broke out in Syria against the Ottoman occupation that had ruled the country for four centuries.

Brothers of the Soil

1996

Men and women poster
NR

The series explores the lives of ordinary people in Syrian society navigating personal struggles, societal conflicts, and the gap between dreams and reality

Men and women

2005

النصية poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

النصية

1998

Al Thuraya poster
9.0

Akkash is a nationalist resistance fighter against Ottoman rule in Syria. Thuraya, the daughter of the wealthy Turkish aristocrat Ismail Pasha, falls in love with him, and he loves her in return. Determined to be with him, she is willing to sacrifice everything, including her family and privileged position in society.

Al Thuraya

1997

Ayyam Shamiyya poster
4.0

Set in one of Damascus’s neighborhoods during the late Ottoman period and the early Renaissance, depicting the customs, traditions, and social relationships that prevailed at that time.

Ayyam Shamiyya

1992

The Slums poster
NR

In one of the slums, a group of intertwined stories revolve around residents whose movement may extend outside this neighborhood due to work or study, and their fates intersect with the paths of some characters from other neighborhoods of the city.

The Slums

2009

Aldighri poster
10.0

AlDaghari is a Syrian social comedy series, based on the story of Turkish writer Aziz Nesin, produced by Syrian Arab Television in 1992, directed by Haitham Haqqi. It tells the story of a fraudulent person who exploits the gullibility of the villagers.

Aldighri

1992

Kings of Sects poster
6.3

The series follows the rupture of Andalusia into many warring states, which allowed the northern Kingdom of Castile to expand its borders and take control.

Kings of Sects

2005

City Secrets poster
8.0

In a dramatic and social framework, Abu Mansour’s children work hard to improve their financial conditions, but they encounter major life obstacles, which they try to overcome.

City Secrets

2000

Neighborhood Live On Air poster
NR

The series deals with social life and raises many important issues that the Arab society suffers from, such as authoritarianism, social pressures. It also presents the negatives and positives in a dramatic comic style.

Neighborhood Live On Air

2008

Migration of Hearts to Hearts poster
NR

Set in the town of Al-Rukniya in the early 1930s, the work explores the conflict between Bedouin and urban communities, the impact of World War II on Syrian politics, the outbreak of the Great Syrian Revolution, and the subsequent withdrawal of the French occupation from the country. The work also highlights the opportunists who continue to spread colonialist ideas, in contrast to the strength and unity of the people as they confront tyranny despite the conspiracies plotted against them.

Migration of Hearts to Hearts

1991

Soft Thorns poster
NR

At a Damascus girls' high school, the school counsellor Hanan is the quiet centre of everyone's storms — helping teenagers navigate family pressure, social expectations and the bruising complexities of adolescence, while quietly managing the unravelling of her own marriage. Each student carries a different wound; each episode peels back another layer. A warm, perceptive Syrian drama about the hidden costs of growing up female in Arab society. Directed by Rasha Sharbatji, starring Salma Al-Masri and Qusay Khouli.

Soft Thorns

2005

Small Projects poster
NR

كوميديا لطيفة هادفة تصوّر معاناة أسرة كبيرة العدد لحالة بائسة من الفقر الثقيل الذي يجعل الأخ الأكبر يترك المدرسة ليشتغل ويُعيل والدته وإخوته السبع حتى يتخرجوا ويتزوجوا. ثم يكتشف أنه قد بلغ الأربعينات وأن قطار العمر قد فاته، وأنه قد خسر قصّة حب عمَّرتْ 15 سنة. A charming, meaningful comedy depicting the struggles of a large family living in abject poverty. The eldest brother drops out of school to work and support his mother and seven siblings, ensuring they all graduate and get married. Eventually, he realizes he has reached his forties—having let life pass him by—and has lost a romance that spanned fifteen years.

Small Projects

2006

Men Underneath the Fez poster
NR

Men Under the Fez is a Syrian ensemble drama that explores the quiet gap between public virtue and private behaviour. Set in a society where educated, “progressive” men speak fluently about equality and modern values, the series gradually reveals the contradictions in their personal lives — and the emotional cost carried by the women closest to them. Through intersecting stories of marriages, desire, hypocrisy and self-deception, it offers a sharp, often uncomfortable portrait of everyday patriarchy. Directed by Hisham Sharbatji, starring Khaled Taja and Karess Bashar.

Men Underneath the Fez

2004

The Bee path (Tareeq AlNahl) poster
NR

After the head of a family is killed, his wife faces pressure from his brother who lusts after her. She escapes to Damascus to find work, where a self-defense incident leads to a manslaughter charge and the heartbreaking loss of her children.

The Bee path (Tareeq AlNahl)

2009

Murder in the Memory poster
NR

An Arabic-language series based on Agatha Christie's novel The Sleeping Murder, about a murder that occurred and went undiscovered until 20 years later.

Murder in the Memory

1992

أيام الولدنة poster
NR

Abu Razouq is a rich man, who discovers that he is infected with a serious and deadly disease, and worries about this matter; but his biggest concern is his legacy, and how his children and wives can share it, except for his son Razouq, who does not care about money, but his father. Abu Razouq helps his son with the trick that he has died, so that he knows who loves him for his person and who loves his money.

أيام الولدنة

2006