Syria's new leader Ahmad al-Sharaa on his arrival for a meeting with Druze leader Walid Joumblatt, Sunday Dec. 22, 2024, at the presidential palace in Damascus. (Credit: AFP)
On the road to the presidential palace in Damascus, perched on a hill facing Mount Qasioun, the highway was swarming with cars.“Under Hafez al-Assad, and sometimes under Bashar al-Assad, this road was closed and civilians were not allowed to drive on it. It's one of the most beautiful streets in Damascus, and we were deprived of it,” the driver recalled. Read more I returned to Syria As he reached the palace entrance, the driver appeared visibly nervous. It was his first time visiting the site. Security guards asked for a password and the name of the person who had coordinated his entry. A car with an Idlib license plate guided him to the palace door. The driver couldn't believe it. “We used to fear passing through here,” he said.Inside, an air of calm prevailed. The palace was vast, with sprawling wings and open vistas. Young...
On the road to the presidential palace in Damascus, perched on a hill facing Mount Qasioun, the highway was swarming with cars.“Under Hafez al-Assad, and sometimes under Bashar al-Assad, this road was closed and civilians were not allowed to drive on it. It's one of the most beautiful streets in Damascus, and we were deprived of it,” the driver recalled. Read more I returned to Syria As he reached the palace entrance, the driver appeared visibly nervous. It was his first time visiting the site. Security guards asked for a password and the name of the person who had coordinated his entry. A car with an Idlib license plate guided him to the palace door. The driver couldn't believe it. “We used to fear passing through here,” he said.Inside, an air of calm prevailed. The palace was vast, with sprawling wings and open vistas....
