A personal travel report by Walaa Ziadeh
Four months after the fall of the regime, my mother, brother and I were at airport Hamburg, waiting for our long flight to Damascus. It has been 12 years since we left Syria. Although these years have been full of longing for home, we did not dare to travel there because we were feared persecution. I didn’t even know if I would ever see my homeland again in my life.
Before I boarded the flight to Damascus in Istanbul, I paused for a moment with mixed emotions. I couldn’t believe the dream was finally coming true.
After two hours, we landed at Damascus airport. The airport looked like a desert; the runways were largely destroyed. Then the passengers got off, their mood was very good and cheerful, they sang and danced until we reached passport control. The staff there were very friendly and welcomed us warmly to our country. Unbelievable, we were not used to this during the regime period!
My family and I were deeply moved, we cried endlessly and hugged each other. We are officially in Syria. finally!!
First impressions
My best friend picked us up. I was really excited. The streets looked different. Before my trip, I had worried a lot that I wouldn’t recognize Damascus or that I would feel foreign. As we approached the city center, the memories came back. Everything looked familiar.
The streets smelled of gasoline or fuel, probably because the gasoline was watered down or of poor quality. The cars and buses were relatively old; it felt as if the city had stayed in the 1980s, with nothing renovated or changed. Despite this complete neglect of the city, Damascus has an attraction that I can’t find in any other city. There is something about it that makes it unique.
We arrived at the hotel. I have chosen a hotel in Old Damascus. The hotels there have a traditional Damascus charm, built in the old style and offering a calming atmosphere. They have courtyards with fountains, surrounded by many trees and jasmine plants. You can start your morning there in a special way, drinking a cup of coffee while listening to music by the fountain.
The next day we drove to Darayya. Darayya is my hometown. It is only 8 kilometers from Damascus and had about 255,000 inhabitants before the war. Darayya was a place of peaceful resistance against the Assad regime in the Syrian revolution. The village was also known for its secret library, which served as a center of knowledge and hope during the siege. The regime has besieged and shelled Darayya for a long period of time, resulting in severe destruction and loss of life among the civilian population.
Our house was located in a neighborhood called “Al-khalij”. This area was in the northern part at the entrance to Darayya. It was systematically and completely destroyed by the regime because it was only about 4 km away from the Mazzeh military airport. They feared that the rebels might use this route to reach the airport and the prison.
I tried to prepare for this visit by watching videos about the destruction and reading about it. The reality was completely different. There is nothing that can protect you from the shock you are experience. I couldn’t identify where our house once stood. All you see is rubble.
Every scene was devastating. It smelled of death. I couldn’t breathe, was in shock and had a panic attack.
One wonders, are these people who were able to cause this destruction really like us? Where does this cruelty come from that drives them to commit such acts and destroy our past and memories? Did they want to punish us because we longed for freedom or said “No”? Was that our crime?
We continued our way to our relatives who also live in Darayya. They returned there about two years ago. Before, it was a military zone with constant fighting. The infrastructure is almost on the ground. Electricity and water are only available intermittently. The main roads are heavily damaged, and the core of the village has been fundamentally changed.
Despite everything I experienced in Syria, meeting my relatives was still very beautiful, full of memories, feelings and hope.
Germany is my home now, but my sense of belonging to Syria is special. It is the feeling of deep roots. A sense of comfort that you can’t experience anywhere else. You understand the people there in a different way. Perhaps it is what is called the “longing for security”.
Security Situation
Our trip was actually planned only for Damascus and the surroundings. We didn’t travel to another city due to the short time and the many rumors about the thefts and security risks. However, we didn’t experience any strange situations, even though we heard or read about them. Perhaps because we were only in the capital, and security is presumably higher there than in other areas.
Political views
The faces of the people in the streets were full of calm and joy, despite the poverty and suffering they have experienced due to the poor economic situation.
Their political opinions are very varied. Some people consider the new de facto government to be a very good one that makes no mistakes and are willing to support it in every way. Perhaps their opinion is based on the fact that they can no longer bear a new burden of suffering that another “No” might cause. They just want peace.
Others, however, are strictly against the government because they believe it is a harsh government that took power without elections and is therefore illegitimate. It is impossible to expect the country’s reconstruction from it.
In light of the chaos left by the regime and its fall, it is very difficult to determine which opinion is correct. But many Syrians see that the current de facto government is doing many good things and is working to rebuild the country, despite the many mistakes and security breaches it has caused. After the lessons learned from the past and the revolution, the Syrian people have developed enough awareness to criticize the government. The current government has taken this criticism into account in some situations. However, the most important and pressing issue for all Syrians today remains transitional justice and how it can be achieved. Because this is the only thing that can end the tragic chapter of the Syrians and allows the beginning of a new era in their country.
Economic situation
Every day, as we drove through the city, there were long queues in front of the banks. People were waiting to withdraw their allocated part of the salary. The government has set a limit on the amount that can be withdrawn because it does not have enough money to pay the employees’ salaries. Dictator Bashar al-Assad has stolen money from the central bank. The whole country is bankrupt, and most of the population lives below the poverty line.
Moreover, the currency has lost much of its value and is in constant decline unless something is done to improve it. The average salary of a government employee currently is about $30, no more. With that, you can barely finance a week.
The government needs significant international financial support to get back on its feet.
Future vision
It is very difficult to determine the necessary steps for the professional reconstruction of the country. But the most important and fundamental factor for this is political stability. Due to Syria’s geographical location, the country suffers from great political disorder. Once political stability is achieved, investors will return to the country, especially if the current economic system is worked on and the currency is stabilized to control the exchange rate against foreign currencies.
The war in Syria has lasted almost 14 years. During this time, everything was destroyed, and the regime stole everything it could. The Syrian people survived this war with very limited means and have even launched small projects. They are very optimistic and want to rebuild their country quickly. A large proportion of people are academics or professionals, but one hand does not clap. Therefore, these people need all kinds of help- small or large initiatives- that can help rebuild the country.es not clap. Therefore, these people need all kinds of help, small or large initiatives, to help rebuild the country.