Syrians Return to Devastation in Homs

3 minute read
Once filled with cafés and shops, the Qabaris neighborhood in the Old City area of Homs has been reduced to rubble. May 12, 2014.
Once filled with cafés and shops, the Qabaris neighborhood in the Old City area of Homs has been reduced to rubble. May 12, 2014.Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
By Aryn Baker

For this week’s issue of TIME, photographer Yuri Kozyrev and TIME Middle East Bureau Chief Aryn Baker traveled to Syria to document locals returning to the city of Homs, which lies in ruins. The return came after a ceasefire between the government and rebel forces who held the city for almost two years. Amid scenes of devastation, Kozyrev photographed one-time residents salvaging belongings and searching for signs of their former lives. Kozyrev and Baker also traveled to Damascus — long a stronghold of pro-Assad sentiment — where, in parts of the city, locals shop and socialize and life goes on much as it always has.

It had taken years, and several attempts each, to get Syrian visas for photographer Yuri Kozyrev and myself. Despite all that waiting, nothing had quite prepared us for what we would encounter in Syria. From the Lebanese border we drove straight to the city of Homs, where a recent ceasefire had just taken effect, after a two-year siege and massive amounts of shelling. The rebel fighters left, and residents were returning to their former neighborhoods to see what could be salvaged from their homes. It was a scene of utter devastation.

Kozyrev, who has covered wars for decades, goggled at the extent of the destruction. “It’s worse than Grozny,” he said, as we walked through a post-apocalyptic landscape, broken teacups and the cut-glass crystal of old chandeliers crunching under our feet. The smell of explosives was everywhere, and fires burned at intersections, filling the air with acrid black smoke. Government soldiers, brought in as guards, had started stripping all the buildings of the electrical wires, and piled the resulting coils into bonfires. They said that they didn’t want any remaining insurgents to use the wires in improvised electrical devices, but they also admitted that the copper inside fetched a good price.

Sick Baby Seals Marine Mammal Center
The Marine Mammal Center sits where the U.S. military once had a missile site outside San Francisco, in the Marin Headlands, Calif., May 9, 2014.Photograph by Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME

We accompanied families as they sought to salvage what they could of their former lives. “It was a powerful, emotional moment to follow them to their houses, or what was left of their houses,” says Kozyrev. “Many seemed unable to find where they once lived among all the rubble.” Some were lucky, and able to recover furniture and old appliances. Others had to content themselves to a few books, or an old photo album. I saw one woman walking out of the destruction clutching her chandelier, a poignant symbol of all that had been lost.

Damascus, with its lively bars, markets and packed ice-cream parlors showed us the other side of Syria. A stronghold of President Bashar Assad, the capital’s central districts have seen little of the war outside of the television news, and Damascenes go about their daily lives with little thought to what is going on in the rest of the country. “In some ways it’s hard to believe when you look at the images of Homs, but people in Damascus seem to think the war is over,” says Kozyrev. “For them, it’s just a question of time until they rebuild and everything is fine.” For us, temporary visitors, we saw a legacy of war that will likely last for generations to come.

Yuri Kozyrev is a contract photographer for TIME and was named the 2011 Photographer of the Year in the Pictures of the Year International competition.

Aryn Baker is the Middle East bureau chief for TIME. Follow her on Twitter @arynebaker.

Once filled with cafés and shops, the Qabaris neighborhood in the Old City area of Homs has been reduced to rubble. May 12, 2014.
Once filled with cafés and shops, the Qabaris neighborhood in the Old City area of Homs has been reduced to rubble. May 12, 2014.Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
In the wake of a cease-fire, residents of Homs reclaim belongings from their devastated homes. May 12, 2014.
In the wake of a cease-fire, residents of Homs reclaim belongings from their devastated homes. May 12, 2014.Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
Two years of relentless fighting, along with shells and barrel bombs, have destroyed this once thriving middle class neighborhood full of cafés and shops. Qabaris neighborhood, old Homs. May 13, 2014.
More than two years of war has destroyed the once-thriving middle-class neighborhood of Qabaris, in the Old City area of Homs. May 13, 2014.Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
Two years of relentless fighting, along with shells and barrel bombs have destroyed this once thriving middle class neighborhood and its mosque. Khaldiyeh, old Homs. May 13, 2014.
Relentless fighting, along with shells and barrel bombs, have ravaged Khaldiyeh, a middle-class neighborhood in the Old City area of Homs. May 13, 2014.Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
Two years of relentless fighting, along with shells and barrel bombs, have destroyed this once thriving middle class neighborhood full of cafes and shops. Residents return to devastated Homs to salvage what remains of their belongings and homes after years of conflict and siege after government troops entered the neighborhoods as part of an agreement that granted rebel fighters safe exit from the city. Qabaris neighborhood, old Homs. May 12, 2014.
Residents return to the Qabaris neighborhood of Homs to salvage what remains of their homes. May 12, 2014.Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
A street in the Qabaris neighborhood of Homs lies in ruins. Government soldiers use small fires to melt the plastic from cables and wires stripped from destroyed buildings. They say it is to prevent the wires from being used for improvised explosive devices, but the copper within can also be sold for cash. May 12, 2014.
A street in the Qabaris neighborhood of Homs lies in ruins. Government soldiers use small fires to melt the plastic from cables and wires stripped from destroyed buildings. They say it is to prevent the wires from being used for improvised explosive devices, but the copper within can also be sold for cash. May 12, 2014. Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
Two years of relentless fighting, along with shells and barrel bombs have destroyed this once thriving middle class neighborhood and its mosque. Khaldiyeh, old Homs, May 13, 2014.
Women walk through a destroyed building in the Khaldiyeh neighborhood of Homs. May 13, 2014.Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
Two years of relentless fighting, along with shells and barrel bombs, have destroyed this once thriving middle class neighborhood full of cafes and shops. Residents return to devastated Homs to salvage what remains of their belongings and homes after years of conflict and siege after government troops entered the neighborhoods as part of an agreement that granted rebel fighters safe exit from the city. Qabaris neighborhood, old Homs. May 12, 2014.
Residents walk down a street after collecting their belongings in the Qabaris neighborhood of the Old City of Homs. May 12, 2014.Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
Two years of relentless fighting, along with shells and barrel bombs, have destroyed this once thriving middle class neighborhood full of cafes and shops. Residents return to devastated Homs to salvage what remains of their belongings and homes after years of conflict and siege after government troops entered the neighborhoods as part of an agreement that granted rebel fighters safe exit from the city, Qabaris neighborhood, old Homs, May 12, 2014.
Residents walk down a street after collecting their belongings in the Qabaris neighborhood of the Old City of Homs. May 12, 2014.Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
Two years of relentless fighting, along with shells and barrel bombs have destroyed this once thriving middle class neighborhood and its mosque, Khaldiyeh, old Homs. May 13, 2014.
A street in the Khaldiyeh neighborhood of Homs lies in ruins. May 13, 2014.Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
Two years of relentless fighting, along with shells and barrel bombs have destroyed this once thriving middle class neighborhood and its mosque, Khaldiyeh, old Homs. May 13, 2014.
A man carefully walks down a destroyed street in the Khaldiyeh neighborhood of Homs. May 13, 2014.Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
Two years of relentless fighting, along with shells and barrel bombs have destroyed this once thriving middle class neighborhood and its mosque. Khaldiyeh, old Homs. May 13, 2014.
A man walks down a destroyed street with salvaged belongings in the Khaldiyeh neighborhood of Homs. May 13, 2014.Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
Khaled Ibn Al Waleed Mosque, Kalediyeh neighborhood, Homs. May 13, 2014.
The Khaled Ibn Al Waleed Mosque sits destroyed in Khaldiyeh, a neighborhood of Homs. May 13, 2014.Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
The former residents of the Qarabis neighborhood in the Old City of Homs in Syria ought to be forgiven if they start questioning the value of peace. Three days after the successful conclusion of a ceasefire between the government of President Bashar Assad and the rebels who had holed up in the neighborhood for nearly two years, residents were allowed back into the sealed off enclave to salvage what they could from their former homes. Homs, May 12, 2014.
Former residents of the Qabaris neighborhood of Homs salvage what they could from their former homes. May 12, 2014.Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
Qaeda's flag is seen flying at the Qarabis neighborhood in the Old City of Homs, May 12, 2014.
Al-Qaeda's flag is seen flying in Qabaris, Homs. May 12, 2014.Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
The Martyrs of Firdos Cemetery, Zahara neighborhood, Homs. Zahara is an Alawite neighborhood in Homs, where 4000 soldiers that died fighting for the government of Assad are buried in a special cemetery. Homs, May 13, 2014.
Some 4,000 soldiers who died while fighting for the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad are buried in the Martyrs of Firdos Cemetery in Zahara, an Alawite neighborhood of Homs. May 13, 2014.Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
Parishioners return to the Church of the Belt of the Virgin Mary for the first time in two years to find it mostly intact, but for a hole in the roof from shelling. Homs, May 14, 2014.
Parishioners return to the Saint Mary's Church of the Holy Belt in Homs for the first time in two years, finding it mostly intact except for a hole in the roof from shelling. May 14, 2014.Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
This street corner was hit by a car bomb in April, killing 150 according to residents. The force of the bomb sheared of the facades of nearby buildings. Zahara neighborhood, Homs. May 13, 2014.
This street corner in the Zahara neighborhood of Homs was hit by a car bomb in April, killing 150, according to residents. The force of the bomb sheared off the facades of nearby buildings. May 13, 2014.Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
The old covered market, Homs. May 14, 2014.
The old covered market in Homs sits destroyed. May 14, 2014.Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
The check point at Khaldiyeh, old Homs. May 14, 2014.
The check point at Khaldiyeh in the Old City area of Homs. May 14, 2014.Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
Men gather at a newly reopened mechanic's shop in the Barze neighborhood of Damascus. May 14, 2014.
Men gather at a newly reopened mechanic's shop in the Barze neighborhood of Damascus. May 14, 2014.Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
Posters of the President adorn the offices of the Syrian Ministry of Industry offices in Damascus. May 14, 2014.
Posters of the President adorn the offices of the Syrian Ministry of Industry offices in Damascus. May 14, 2014.Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
Election banners promoting Assad in upcoming presidential elections, in Damascus' covered market, May 15, 2014.
Election banners promoting Assad in the upcoming presidential elections covered a market in Damascus. May 15, 2014.Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
At the al Nawfara coffee shop in the old city of Damascus, professional story teller Abu Shaadi entertains patrons by reading traditional tales of old Syria, May 15, 2014.
Professional storyteller Abu Shaadi entertains patrons with traditional tales of old Syria at the al Nawfara coffee shop in the Old City of Damascus. May 15, 2014.Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
A bustling covered market in Damascus, May 15, 2014.
A bustling covered market in Damascus. May 15, 2014.Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
Friday morning before prayers at Damascus' Historic Umayyad Mosque, May 16, 2014.
People walk around the historic Umayyad Mosque in Damascus before Friday morning prayers. May 16, 2014.Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
Recently engaged couple Rama, 27, and Razooq, 31,L, share a drink at Damascus' recently opened Upstairs Bar. May 16, 2014.
A recently engaged couple Razooq, 31, (left) and Rama, 27, share a drink at the newly opened bar Upstairs in Damascus. May 16, 2014.Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
Buildings, checkpoints , cars , buses here in the Syrian capital are festooned with fresh portraits of President Bashar Assad, May 16, 2014.
Buildings, checkpoints and vehicles in the capital are festooned with fresh portraits of Assad ahead of the elections. May 16, 2014. Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
A rally in support of Syria and the president on the Mezze Highway, Damascus, May 18, 2014.
A rally in support of Assad on the Mezze Highway in Damascus. May 18, 2014.Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
Marjeh Square in Damascus. May 18, 2014.
A flock of birds fly around Marjeh Square, known as 'Martyrs' Square,' in Damascus. May 18, 2014.Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
Buildings, checkpoints and billboards in the Syrian capital are festooned with fresh portraits of President Bashar Assad. Damascus, May 16, 2014.
Buildings, checkpoints and vehicles in the capital are festooned with fresh portraits of Assad ahead of the elections. May 16, 2014. Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
Young Damascenes gather at the café in the garden of the National Museum in Damascus, May 18, 2014.
Young Damascenes gather at the café in the garden of the National Museum in Damascus. May 18, 2014.Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
Young director Muhamad Abdulaziz has been given free reign by the Syrian government to produce a multi-part television drama about the current conflict. With a cast of 122 actors, filmed in more than 150 locations, it is a wide-ranging project that seeks to incorporate the war, the influence of foreign fighters and the tales of young women who join the fight as wives to some of those jihadis. Abdulaziz, who supports the government, says he has no fear of censorship. Damascus. May 18, 2014.
Young director Muhamad Abdulaziz has been given free reign by the Syrian regime to produce a multi-part television drama about the conflict. With a cast of 122 actors, two of which are pictured here, filmed in more than 150 locations, it is a wide-ranging project that seeks to incorporate the war, the influence of foreign fighters and the tales of young women who join the fight as jihadis' wives. Abdulaziz, who supports the government, says he has no fear of censorship. Damascus. May 18, 2014.Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
Courtyard of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, May 18, 2014.
Two children run in the courtyard of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. May 18, 2014.Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME
Eating out in the Old City in Damascus, May 18, 2014.
Diners eat at a popular restaurant in an old house in the Old City of Damascus. May 18, 2014.Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIME

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