(Baonghean.vn) - Fashion weeks, bustling markets, tourists, resorts, ancient architecture, and even casinos – Syria before the war was once peaceful, hospitable, and a wonderful place. Let's look back at Syria's past, a world lost in the ongoing bloody civil war, and ask ourselves: when will the once vibrant and bustling Syria be reborn?
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| A model showcases a new design at a competition for Syrian fashion designers held in Damascus on October 6, 2009. |
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| The beach of a resort hotel in Latakia. |
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| Syrian traders stand next to a confectionery stall in downtown Damascus on October 9, 2007. |
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| The bustling scene of buyers and sellers was once a familiar sight in Damascus's central market. |
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| A stall offering a wide variety of colorful vegetables sits in a corner of a roadside market in the Syrian capital. |
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| The idyllic image of the goatherd boy on the hillside near Slenfe is no longer as common as it once was. |
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| A view of the first casino in the Syrian capital, located near Damascus airport, on December 30, 2010. |
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| On the way to visit the Temple of Baal in the ancient city of Palmyra. |
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| Syrian dancers perform at Qasr al-Adhm, Damascus, on September 7, 2008. |
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| Syrian people weave mats at a market in the old city of Damascus on October 6, 2003. |
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| Syrian men watch over camels while tourists stroll through the ancient city of Palmyra during the al-Badia festival, photographed in northeastern Damascus, May 4, 2007. |
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| A peaceful scene in the village of Maalula, 60 km north of Damascus city center, on June 29, 2009. |
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| A tourist takes a photo during a visit to Al-Azem Palace, home to works of art and a repository of traditions in the ancient city of Damascus. |
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| Locals in Latakia enjoy relaxing moments by the Mediterranean Sea. |
Thu Giang
(According to Sputnik)
