Residents of Syria’s capital are picnicking on a once-forbidden mountaintop and trading openly in dollars and imported Nescafe. They say the city seems theirs again.

People set aside divisions and anxiety about the future to mark a once-in-a-lifetime moment of renewal.

Umayyad Square in Damascus hummed to the throngs of people brandishing "revolution" flags as Syria saw in the new year with hope following 13 years of civil war.More than half a million people died in the 13-year civil war as the country split into different regions controlled by various warring parties.

Sarah Kassim celebrated a New Year “full of freedom” with thousands of other Syrians in Damascus. Pushpa 2 Worldwide Box Office Collection Day 27: Allu Arjun's Telugu Movie Inches Closer To Rs 2000 Crore?

Syrians celebrated their first New Year after the fall of Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday as fireworks lit up the night sky above Damascus. In the capital's main square, people brandished "revolution" flags,

Old Damascus was alive on New Year's Eve, nearly a month after rebels ended more than 50 years of Assad family rule over Syria. While uncertainty lies ahead as the country’s new rulers plot the way forward after 13 years of brutal civil war,