Scattered across the northwest of Syria, between Aleppo and Hama, are more than 700 abandoned settlements known as the Dead Cities.
I visited these curious Roman and Byzantium ruins fourteen years ago, while I was living and working in Damascus. Little did I know at the time that Aleppo, the stylish and classical city where I was staying, would one day become a mirror image of these dead cities.
Watching the news over the past few weeks, I have seen images which nobody should ever have to see, of thousands of hunger-stricken people waiting desperately for evacuation, sheltering in bombed out apartment blocks, in Aleppo, a city which was once a popular tourist destination, famed for its spectacular white marble. Much of the city’s ancient heritage has been damaged, including the Great Mosque, which was built in the 8th century, and the citadel of Aleppo, considered to be one of the largest and oldest castles in the world.
But it is the images of the people’s faces which I can not erase from my mind, of the men, women and children, who have been subjected to immeasurable suffering during these years of brutal fighting,
Over the last decade, throughout the conflict, I have looked often looked at the faces in the photographs I took of Syrian people in 2003 and 2004 and felt such melancholy at the smiling faces gazing back at me, wondering what became of these innocent people – did these school children finish their education, did they escape, are they alive or more realistically are they dead?
Although a ceasefire agreement has recently been reached and it looks like the battle of Aleppo is slowly drawing to a close, it still remains that over 30,000 people are reported to have died since fighting began in 2012, and another 20,000 are thought to have been displaced from Syria’s biggest city.
The battle might be coming to an end, but some of the damage will never be mended. Areas of some of Syria’s grandest cities including Damascus, Aleppo, Hama and Palmyra are now uninhabited rubble, like the dead cities from antiquity.
Here are some of my photographs from Syria from before the conflict.

Schools out in Al-Madina Souq in Aleppo, Syria.

Children playing with toy guns celebrating Eid Al Fitr in Arwad, Syria.

Friday afternoon in the Souk El-Hamidiyeh, Damascus, Syria.

A family entering Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria.

School kids on a bus in Damascus.

Children returning from school in the Dead Cities, Syria.

Children from the Dead Cities around Aleppo, Syria.

Three little girls from Arwad Island, near Tartous, Syria.
Taken from the British Government Foreign Travel Advice page for Syria https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/syria
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise against all travel to Syria. British nationals in Syria should leave now by any practical means. The FCO is not able to provide consular services, and won’t be able to help your evacuation from the country.
The situation remains extremely volatile and dangerous. There is widespread fighting throughout Syria, including in Damascus and its suburbs. Full scale military operations involving the use of small arms, tanks, artillery and aircraft are ongoing. The Syrian government no longer exercises control of large parts of Syria, notably the north, south and east of the country. Areas of eastern Syria are under the effective control of the Daesh (formerly referred to as ISIL), which is fiercely hostile to the United Kingdom. Beginning on 30 September 2015, Russia embarked on a concerted military campaign of aerial bombardment, using indiscriminate weapons in Syria backing an offensive launched by troops loyal to the Asad regime. From 3 December 2015, UK joined the Coalition air strike effort in Syria against Daesh.
In Aleppo and elsewhere, the regime has been undertaking an indiscriminate campaign of aerial bombardment since mid-December 2013, using so called ‘barrel’ bombs – huge containers packed with explosives and shards of metal dropped by helicopter – against largely civilian targets. A number of chemical weapons attacks have taken place across Syria, most notably on 21 August 2013, where a major attack took place in the suburbs of Damascus. Latest estimates are of over 400,000 dead, including well over 10,000 children.
ann c December 19, 2016
Thank you for your very personal reflections on Syria. The whole situation is totally numbing.We need to put our own lives into perspective as we live our ‘easy’ lives ………
The Wanderess December 24, 2016
this breaks my heart. your photos are beautiful. i wish the people of Aleppo would one day be able to smile again.
alidunnell December 24, 2016
Mine too. It really was the most beautiful city and country – the people, the history, the architecture, the atmosphere. I just hope peace can be restored so they can rebuild their lives and get back to normality. Ali
lenalimhamn December 28, 2016
Thank you!
Met some of them here in Malmö when they arrived end of 2015. Frozen, tired after months of walking through Europe. Millions trying to escape, hurt for life.
alidunnell December 28, 2016
Sweden has done so much for the migrants of many countries. You live in a country you should be tremendously proud of.
lenalimhamn December 28, 2016
Don’t feel so proud just now really. Closed border. No familyreunions. Islamofobi… hope for better and more human future!
alidunnell December 28, 2016
Indeed… We need to be more empathic and help all people who are in need of help and support.
lenalimhamn December 28, 2016
Do you mind if I publish your post to my friends on Facebook? Some worked in Aleppo many years ago.
alidunnell December 28, 2016
Not at all. I am sure they would love to see the photos… it really was such a beautiful city and the people too.
lenalimhamn December 28, 2016
Thanks! Happy New Year 2017
healingpilgrim January 11, 2017
At once, beautiful and heartbreaking. I pray for life to return to that ravaged and deadened country…
Thanks for sharing images from a more peaceful time in Syria.
alidunnell January 11, 2017
It really is such a beautiful place. But it is a place and a nation that has bounced back before and it will again. I live in hope. Ali
healingpilgrim January 14, 2017
These days.. what else do we have to hang our hats – and hearts – on, if not hope?
alidunnell January 16, 2017
I agree. Thanks for dropping by my blog. Ali
Celebes January 11, 2017
A very interesting text and some photos that tell us about the victims of the war. Congratulations!
alidunnell January 11, 2017
Thank you Celebes. Ali
ohdarlingsoul January 11, 2017
Beautiful photos.
alidunnell January 11, 2017
Thank you… but it was really the subjects that were beautiful. Ali
stemgirlssite January 11, 2017
Well done on this piece, you’ve outdone yourself!
alidunnell January 11, 2017
Thanks. Ali
eclecticwave January 11, 2017
Absolutely beautiful photos!
alidunnell January 12, 2017
Thank you eclecticwave. Ali
Fearful Individualist January 11, 2017
Thank you for shedding light on this piece of darkness!
alidunnell January 12, 2017
I am glad you found it interesting. Ali
penguinn007 January 12, 2017
This is so sad.
alidunnell January 12, 2017
I agree. Let’s hope that things start to improve for this country very very soon. Ali
penguinn007 January 12, 2017
World is a darker place than it used to be. May there be peace this year
Naomi Byrnes January 16, 2017
Thank you for reminding the world of this dire need. I’ve nominated you for the Blogger Recognition Award. Feel free to skip if it isn’t of interest or time is too tight. Will completely understand. Keep being wonderful you. https://yourguidedjournal.com/2017/01/16/blogger-recognition-award/
andreahaidar January 26, 2017
These photos are striking. Thank you for sharing.
alidunnell January 27, 2017
Thank you Andrea, but if I am honest, they make me sad to look at them now. I remember the children being so happy and full of life. What has happended to Syria just makes me dispair. Ali
UnCrushedLeaves March 3, 2017
Those eyes with curiosity, glee and dreams… let’s hope they find happiness in their own ways.
Ali Dunnell March 6, 2017
I completely agree with you
Marvi October 11, 2017
Looking at these photos really breaks my heart. I hope all of these kids are well.. Thank you for sharing this.
Ali Dunnell October 11, 2017
Syria is such a beautiful place with beautiful and kind people. We must all hope for a peaceful end to this conflict, soon. Ali
Indu October 11, 2017
Emotional portrayal of your post touched me. Thanks for sharing with all.
Ali Dunnell October 11, 2017
I felt emotional writing and reading it too. Fond, but very distant memories of a happier time for Syria. Ali
PossesstheWorld October 11, 2017
You made my heart break with your beautiful images and the story of your time in Syria. We met some Syrian refugees in Turkey this year and to a man (and woman) they all just wanted to go home to their beautiful Aleppo, my heart remains pained for them. Thank you for this thoughtful and thought provoking piece.
Ali Dunnell October 11, 2017
Aleppo is or rather was a wonderful city – so cultured and lively. It is now just rubble. It makes me so sad to look at these pictures too, but I wanted to share them, to raise awareness of this awful conflict.
Jem October 11, 2017
A really powerful and emotional post with beautiful poignant photos, thank you for sharing x
Ali Dunnell October 11, 2017
Thanks for reading – and for caring. These pictures seem to sum up how happy Syria was – a happy, friendly and beautiful country. So very sad 🙁
heraafarooq October 11, 2017
Touched my heart. So sad how kids are suffering there.
Ali Dunnell October 11, 2017
Thank you for stopping by my blog. It certainly is a very sad story
Priyanka October 11, 2017
Your photographs are very powerful. It is sad what is happening in Syria but I hope it will become better now. Thank you for writing about such a beautiful place.
Cheers ~ Priyanka @ NErdy Adventuress
Ali Dunnell October 17, 2017
Thank you for reading and for caring too. Ali
Claire October 12, 2017
Fascinating post Ali! The pictures are absolutely stunning and really telling a story. You are very talented!
Ali Dunnell October 12, 2017
Thank you so much Claire for your positive feedback 🙂
The Wandering October 12, 2017
My heart goes out for Syria every time I hear/read the name, and suddenly I start feeling sad. Love how beautifully you’ve captures the life of Syria before all this mess.
Ali Dunnell October 12, 2017
It is such a sad story. Thanks for stopping by my blog. Ali
Jonathan Morales June 8, 2018
Makes me want to question why do people always destroys something that is so beautiful? War doesn’t really makes sense at all.
alidunnell June 10, 2018 — Post Author
Completely – You would think in 2018 that we would have come up with other solutions to conflict. It makes me so very very sad.