Hundreds of Syrians took to the streets of the ancient city of Aleppo to celebrate Christmas, as the peaceful life is still getting back on track in Aleppo, two years after its liberation.
Christmas in Aleppo is an exceptional holiday indeed – and that was not since it housed the largest Christian minority in the predominantly Muslim country before the war.
The battle for the city, that raged for four and a half years, ended just a couple of days before Christmas back in 2016. Now the holiday goes hand in hand with the liberation celebrations.
The city, which was once the largest in Syria, has seen years of intense urban warfare, getting split roughly in half between government forces and a conglomerate of assorted militant groups. As the Syrian government forces and their allies scored a decisive victory, the Christians in the city were free to openly celebrate Christmas in – back then, relative – safety.
Two years later, the celebrations got into full swing, beginning to resemble the colorful pre-war festivities. A video from the scene shows the unveiling of the Christmas tree at the Al Aziziyah square, Santa costume-clad kids singing, and fireworks – rather than bullet tracers – lighting up the night skies.
The residents of Aleppo hope the whole of Syria will re-emerge from the ashes, as their city did.
The city still has a long way to go to fully recover from the lengthy bloodshed, but it seems to be walking this path steadily since the liberation.
Christmas in #Aleppo #Siria #Syria 💙 pic.twitter.com/mPU8AGkuib
— Gabriel Garroum Pla (@GabrielGarroum) December 24, 2018
بالفيديو والصور ـ أجواء #عيد_الميلاد في مدينة #حلب https://t.co/zGjcZZmCKq#ميلاد_مجيد#Aleppo#Christmas #ChristmasEve pic.twitter.com/Z00IAJd3cs
— nbnlebanon (@nbntweets) December 24, 2018
Photo source: Ruptly
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