(Baonghean.vn) - Fashion weeks, crowded markets, tourists, resorts, ancient architecture and even casinos - a Syria before the war was once very peaceful, hospitable and an extremely wonderful place. Let's look back at Syria's past, a world lost in the ongoing bloody civil war, and ask the question when will a once bustling and vibrant Syria be reborn?
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| A model presents a new design during a competition for Syrian fashion designers held in Damascus on October 6, 2009. |
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| Beach of a resort hotel in Latakia. |
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| Syrian traders stand next to a candy stall in central Damascus on October 9, 2007. |
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| The bustling scene of buyers and sellers was once very familiar in the central market of Damascus. |
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| A stall selling a variety of colorful vegetables in a street market corner in the Syrian capital. |
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| The peaceful image of a boy herding goats on the mountainside near Slenfe is no longer as common as it used to be. |
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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 dance during a performance at Qasr al-Adhm, Damascus on September 7, 2008. |
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| Syrians weave carpets at a market in the old city of Damascus on October 6, 2003. |
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| Young Syrian men watch camels as tourists walk around the ancient city of Palmyra during the al-Badia festival, northeast of Damascus, May 4, 2007. |
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| Peaceful scene of Maalula village, 60 km north of central Damascus on June 29, 2009. |
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| A tourist takes a photo during a tour of Al-Azem Palace, home to art and traditions in the old city of Damascus. |
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| Locals in Latakia enjoy a relaxing moment on the Mediterranean coast. |
Thu Giang
(According to Sputnik)
