Photo Gallery A Country Defeated
A traffic island in Homs complete with a portrait of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad. The rubble remains in many of the cities that were destroyed during the seven years of fighting.
This mosque in Homs has been renovated, but little else has. With the Assad regime intent on punishing those who fought for or otherwise supported the uprising, fear in the country is rampant.
Samir al-Sarraj never left Homs, even during the height of the violence. He blames "the terrorists" for the destruction of his homeland. But with absolute power reverting to the Assad regime, there is little else that residents can say.
A bazaar in Damascus. Much of the country is back under the control of the Assad regime, but without reconstruction funding, the future of the country remains uncertain.
The Marionette Bar in Damascus. Normal life has returned in some parts of the country.
Ahmed Talji is a pharmacist who lived in the Damascus quarter of Basateen al-Razi, home to one of the few development projects in the country. The neighborhood was not destroyed in the war, but has been razed nonetheless. Talji's house was also bulldozed, but he has received little in terms of compensation.
A street scene in Basateen. The quarter is going to be transformed into a modern neighborhood of concrete and glass called Marota City. Marketing videos show swimming pools with waterfalls and parking garages full of S-Class Mercedes.
The historic souk in Homs has been largely cleaned up and the UNDP is funding its restoration. Development money from Western governments, however, is tied to political reform and the ultimate departure of dictator Bashar Assad.
Residents of the al-Waer quarter of Homs. It was the last part of the city to be recaptured by Assad's troops. Many of the rebels in the city surrendered while others were bused to Idlib on the Turkish border.
A sculpture park in Homs. Syrian state television says that "terrorists" are to blame for all of the violence in the country and residents are wary of countering that rhetoric.
