Religious iconography, Sufi thought and ancient heritage are referenced in the work of Elias Zayat. He is an intellectual who has published several texts on art criticism and regional history and has a longstanding interest in philosophy and the myriad influences that inhabit contemporary Syrian culture. Zayat was educated at several academic art institutions, including the Academy of Fine Arts in Budapest, where he studied art restoration; the Museum of Applied Arts in Budapest; the Academy of Fine Arts in Sofia from 1956 to 1960; and at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Cairo. He is one of the founders of the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Damascus along with other pioneers Fateh Moudarres, Louay Kayyali and Mahmoud Hammad.