Syria
Al-Sharaa in Moscow
The very existence of Syria’s new leader serves as a stark reminder to Moscow of what it has lost. For Russia’s influential, pro-war military bloggers, often a barometer of nationalist sentiment, the welcome given to interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa was a slap in the face.
Hama’s Uprooted Villages
In Syria’s Hama province, displaced Alawite villagers are unable to return to houses and lands now occupied by their former Sunni neighbors, whose own homes were destroyed. With property disputes unresolved and pistachio orchards — the region’s economic lifeblood — neglected, the fragile coexistence that once defined these communities risks collapse.
Inside Syria’s First Post-Assad Elections
In a country long accustomed to stage-managed politics, Syria’s first elections after the fall of Bashar al-Assad offered both the trappings of democracy, and a revealing look at a process of improvisation.
The Undimmed Passion of Damascus’ Pigeon Fanciers
Above Damascus, pigeons flying in tight formation trace arcs in the sky that crisscross and collide. It is a choreography as old and enchanting as the city itself. But as the country recovers from years of war, the centuries-old tradition of pigeon fanciers could be on its final flight.
The Return of Syrian Horse Racing
A symbol of prestige and a tool of power, Syrian horse racing long served the interests of the Assad regime, marked by corruption and spectacle. Then the war swept everything away, leaving horses starving, forgotten and sometimes abandoned. Today, a few enthusiasts are trying to save what they can.
How the Shipwrights of Arwad Weathered Syria’s War
Syria’s only inhabited island, Arwad, kept its ancient boatbuilding practice alive during the country’s long war. Its inhabitants now hope for a maritime rebirth, spearheaded by the shipwrights whose work is part of a tradition dating back to the Phoenicians.
Syria’s Most Renowned Archaeologist Loved Palmyra More Than Life Itself
On the 10th anniversary of Khaled al-Asaad’s murder by the Islamic State group, his family and former colleagues recount a life intertwined with Palmyra’s ruins.