The toppled statue of Hafez al-Assad, the largest in Syria, was built at the request of Abu Salim. Deir Attieh, Aug. 9, 2025. (Credit: Clara Hage/L’Orient-Le Jour)
Deir Attieh stretches at the foot of the hill where the immense statue of Hafez al-Assad once stood.When his son Bashar’s rule collapsed on Dec. 8, 2024, residents from nearby villages came to topple the 20-meter stone colossus, strategically placed to be seen from every corner of the city, even from the highway linking Damascus to Homs. No one could escape its marble gaze. Some barely dared to look at it, let alone approach. The site was off-limits to visitors.It took three days to bring it down with bulldozers, said Abu Hussein, a member of the new General Security forces. On this late afternoon, a few passersby posed for photos, trampling the nearly intact stone block under the guards’ watch.“We will keep it as is, as a memorial,” insisted Abu Hussein, machine gun slung over his shoulder. “It was Abu Salim who built it.”Mohammad...
Deir Attieh stretches at the foot of the hill where the immense statue of Hafez al-Assad once stood.When his son Bashar’s rule collapsed on Dec. 8, 2024, residents from nearby villages came to topple the 20-meter stone colossus, strategically placed to be seen from every corner of the city, even from the highway linking Damascus to Homs. No one could escape its marble gaze. Some barely dared to look at it, let alone approach. The site was off-limits to visitors.It took three days to bring it down with bulldozers, said Abu Hussein, a member of the new General Security forces. On this late afternoon, a few passersby posed for photos, trampling the nearly intact stone block under the guards’ watch.“We will keep it as is, as a memorial,” insisted Abu Hussein, machine gun slung over his shoulder. “It was Abu Salim who built...
