Syria
Palmyra Fights To Survive
In Palmyra, residents returning after years of war face a scorched oasis, broken infrastructure and dwindling hope. The city’s revival hinges on water, tourism and aid — of which it has seen little.
The Fractured Mountain
Tensions are rising in Sweida between Druze and Bedouin communities. Clashes, attacks and mutual distrust have created a volatile situation, with villages living in fear of their neighbors.
How Syria’s Shrines Became Front Lines in a Sectarian War
Syria’s long and storied history has left it home to shrines for multiple religions and sects. Many are of great symbolic importance and have become flash points in the country’s conflicts since 2011. Once places of prayer and memory, they have been turned into tools for propaganda and recruitment.
Assad’s Prisons and the Need for Justice
After years of war, reconciliation with Syria’s past and between the country’s sects and factions cannot be achieved without some measure of justice being done. The first step is to establish the facts by documenting the prisons and mass graves, as well as the massacre sites and destroyed cities.
How a Spyware App Compromised Assad’s Army
A hidden cyberattack involving a deceptive mobile application distributed among Syrian officers may have played a critical role in the sudden collapse of the Assad regime.
Syria’s Druze Are Wary in the Wake of Attacks
Syria’s Druze have been targeted in attacks that have left them wary of trusting the state with their security, while Israel is exploiting the tensions to pursue its own aims. Interviews with those who have experienced the violence reveal a community under pressure and vigilant about its prospects.
A Syrian Village Fights To Save Aramaic, the Language of Jesus
The living language closest to that spoken by Jesus is a version of Aramaic that persists In the Syrian village of Maaloula. Yet war, emigration and changing traditions threaten its survival, despite efforts by a few dedicated individuals to preserve it.