A group of Syrian graffiti artists paint a mural on the collapsed ceiling of a war-damaged house in Daraya, on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
November 04, 2025 - 2:30 AM
DARAYA, Syria (AP) — In the war-ravaged town of Daraya, on the outskirts of Damascus, a group of young Syrian artists has turned the ruins of a bombed-out house into a canvas of remembrance. On the collapsed ceiling, they painted a colorful graffiti mural honoring families lost during years of conflict.
The project was led by Bilal Shoraba, seen in a yellow T-shirt, who was an activist and graffiti artist during the Syrian army’s siege of Daraya between 2012 and 2016. During that time, when the city became a center of resistance to then-President Bashar Assad’s rule, Shoraba created about 30 graffiti works as quiet acts of defiance.
Assad was ousted in a lightning rebel offensive in December, halting nearly 14 years of civil war that killed around half a million people, displaced millions more, and left tens of thousands missing.
After returning to Daraya, Shoraba launched a workshop with the Dar Ebla Cultural Center to teach local youth the art of graffiti. The mural seen here grew out of that collaboration — a symbol of resilience and renewal in a place once synonymous with loss.
In the midst of shattered walls and broken homes, their paint brings a touch of color and hope back to Daraya.
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