Enab Baladi – Nouran al-Samman
“Despite all the destruction, the joy made us forget everything. We haven’t felt such true happiness in 15 years.”
With these words, Khaled Leila, a resident of al-Qaboun in Damascus, expressed his feelings during a group iftar held among the ruins of their destroyed homes, in a moment he described as a “joy for the people of the country,” gathering them despite the displacement and destruction that has befallen the neighborhood.
Despite the visible aftermath of the destruction that still bears witness to years of war and the bombing that hit al-Qaboun like many other regions, the residents insisted on reviving the atmosphere of Ramadan.
Abdul Moein al-Haboul, the leader of the Qabouni volunteer team, explained to Enab Baladi that the aim of the initiative was not merely to provide a meal but to restore the camaraderie among the neighborhood’s residents who have scattered to different places, some in neighboring countries and others in northern Syria.
He added that the iftar took place next to the Grand Mosque in al-Qaboun, in an area that has witnessed approximately 80% destruction of its buildings.
“We hope that the residents will return, but unfortunately, there are not many houses suitable for living. We tried through this iftar to gather the brothers at a single table after they were scattered,” said al-Haboul.
The iftar table was attended by about 1,000 people from al-Qaboun and those returning to it, initiated by local volunteer teams in collaboration with the Fetih Humanitarian Relief Foundation, under the supervision of the Turkish embassy in Damascus.
Despite the difficult scene, joy during the communal iftar dominated the faces of the attendees. Umm Mohammed, one of the participants, expressed her feelings to Enab Baladi, saying, “Emotions of joy mingled with sadness, but we came to see each other and remember our beautiful days. Despite everything, we are happy that we are rid of the regime that destroyed us and displaced our children.”
Al-Qaboun is one of the first neighborhoods to engage in the Syrian revolution since March 15, 2011, and witnessed pivotal events, including the al-Qaboun massacre, in which 90 people were killed, followed by the siege of the area by the previous Syrian regime from 2012 to 2017, which led to widespread destruction of its infrastructure and the displacement of its residents.
Group iftar in al-Qaboun, Damascus – March 5, 2025 (Enab Baladi/Ahmad Maslamani)
Diplomatic attendance
The iftar witnessed diplomatic attendance, where the acting chargé d’affaires of the Turkish embassy in Damascus, Burhan Köroğlu, expressed to Enab Baladi his sorrow over the extent of destruction that befell al-Qaboun, comparing it to the city of Daraya and al-Ghouta.
“We are here to support the Syrians, and we will work to improve the conditions, starting with building schools and securing basic services,” he said.
He pointed out that numerous plans are being worked on in cooperation with the new Syrian authorities, adding, “Both countries will contribute to the reconstruction of Syria, but this process requires intensive international efforts. As a neighboring country, we have a long history with the Syrian people, and we will remain here with all our institutions.”
For his part, Yusuf İslam Yeşil, vice president of the Fetih Humanitarian Relief Foundation, stated that the foundation has been providing humanitarian assistance to Syrians since 2011, indicating that the organization of the group iftar comes as part of efforts to restore hope to the affected Syrians.
He added that this event follows previous activities organized in the Yarmouk camp, expressing hope that these efforts would contribute to improving the living conditions of the residents.
In his remarks to the press, Köroğlu quoted one resident saying that al-Qaboun was once like a paradise garden but has now turned into rubble.
He added that the sanctions imposed on Syria by the United Nations, the European Union, and the United States hinder investment and development efforts, stressing that lifting them would expedite the reconstruction process.
Iftars in other regions
Al-Qaboun was not the only area that witnessed iftar tables amidst the ruins; in Maaret al-Numan in Idlib countryside, about 500 people gathered for a communal iftar, in an attempt to bring life back to a city that has suffered from displacement and destruction.
Similar events were held in other areas, including Aleppo province.
In addition to the communal iftar tables, Syria witnessed other Ramadan-related customs, including “musaharati” who roam the streets without needing security permits, and without being subjected to security checkpoints as they were in the past, in addition to holding Tarawih prayers in the mosques of Syria for the first time without Bashar al-Assad’s presence.
Extent of destruction around the capital
Data from the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) in 2019 indicated that the destruction in the areas surrounding Damascus is extensive, with the number of damaged buildings in Eastern Ghouta alone reaching 34,136 buildings, while in Yarmouk camp and al-Hajar al-Aswad, the number reached 5,489 damaged buildings.
In the city of Zabadani, 3,364 buildings were damaged.
Regarding government promises to improve the situation in al-Qaboun, the Governor of Damascus, Maher Muhammad Marwan, confirmed during his recent visit to the neighborhood that rehabilitating the neighborhood and improving the living conditions of its residents would be a priority in the government’s reconstruction and sustainable development action plan.
On January 19, the Governor of Damascus visited al-Qaboun and met with the residents there.
According to what was conveyed by the media office of the Governorate of Damascus, Marwan emphasized that “efforts are ongoing to provide basic services and enhance stability in the area, focusing on facilitating the return of residents to their homes and preparing a suitable environment for a dignified life.”
On January 23, the Damascus Governorate, in collaboration with its relevant directorates and the Syria Civil Defence, began clearing rubble from the streets of al-Qaboun in preparation for any reconstruction efforts, as part of the “We’ve Returned, O Sham” campaign.
Despite the devastation that al-Qaboun has witnessed, its residents have tried to revive the atmosphere of Ramadan through communal iftar tables.