• People walk among the rubble of damaged buildings in Shamiya village in Damascus. The village was built as a set for the production of a popular Syrian television series featuring houses, cafes, theatres, and museums. All Photos: EPA
    People walk among the rubble of damaged buildings in Shamiya village in Damascus. The village was built as a set for the production of a popular Syrian television series featuring houses, cafes, theatres, and museums. All Photos: EPA
  • An aerial photo shows the extent of damage to buildings in Shamiya village
    An aerial photo shows the extent of damage to buildings in Shamiya village
  • Damaged buildings at Shamiya village in Damascus after fighting that saw opposition forces remove former president Bashar Al Assad
    Damaged buildings at Shamiya village in Damascus after fighting that saw opposition forces remove former president Bashar Al Assad
  • Al Shamiya village was built as a set for Syrian television series and featured houses, cafes, theaters, and museums. It was damaged during the Syrian civil war that began in 2011. EPA
    Al Shamiya village was built as a set for Syrian television series and featured houses, cafes, theaters, and museums. It was damaged during the Syrian civil war that began in 2011. EPA
  • Shows filmed in the village included the popular television series Bab Al-Hara (The Neighbourhood's Gate)
    Shows filmed in the village included the popular television series Bab Al-Hara (The Neighbourhood's Gate)
  • The village was damaged in a rebel offensive that resulted in the fall of the Assad regime
    The village was damaged in a rebel offensive that resulted in the fall of the Assad regime

How Al Shamiya went from Syrian television backdrop to a landscape of rubble


Razmig Bedirian
  • English
  • Arabic

Al Shamiya is one of the most televised locations in Syria, even if most don’t know it by name. The striped walls and arched doorways of the village served as a backdrop for some of the most popular series to come out of the country, including Bab Al Hara.

The village on the road to Damascus International Airport was built with Syria's television industry in mind and is what comes to mind when many think of a traditional Damascene setting.

Al Shamiya was also a popular tourist destination. People flocked to the village to see where some of their favourite television series were set. The area housed several restaurants, an amusement park and a museum. It also featured a miniature version of the famous Al-Azm Palace in Damascus. Sadly, little of that glory remains today.

An aerial photograph shows damaged buildings at Al Shamiya village in Damascus. EPA
An aerial photograph shows damaged buildings at Al Shamiya village in Damascus. EPA

In the relative stability following the toppling of former president Bashar Al Assad, people have returned to find that the village is a landscape of debris. It is a microcosm of the destruction that Syria and its culture endured over the past decade. New pictures released by EPA show how the site’s alleyways and structures were pummeled to rubble during the war, which began in 2011.

It remains to be seen whether Al Shamiya will be rebuilt in the future and whether Syria will reprise its prestigious position as a powerhouse of regional television. For now, we take a look at five series that were filmed at Al Shamiya.

Bab Al Hara

Bab Al Hara was acclaimed particularly for depiction of 1920s Syria. Photo: MBC
Bab Al Hara was acclaimed particularly for depiction of 1920s Syria. Photo: MBC

Bab Al Hara became an instant hit when it was first shown during Ramadan in 2006. The series was compelling for its kaleidoscopic family dramas as well as its depiction of 1920s Syria, showing the country’s yearning for independence from French colonial rule.

The first five seasons of Bab Al Hara were filmed in Al Shamiya. The series stopped between 2011 and 2014, and was then renewed for a sixth season, which was filmed in the Damascus countryside. The series released its 13th season in 2022.

Ahl Al Raya

Released in Ramadan 2008, Ahl Al Raya was another popular historical series that shed light on Damascene life and culture. The series revolves around a trader whose wife dies in childbirth just as he becomes embroiled in a series of rivalries at the souk.

It ran for two seasons and featured several notable Syrian stars, including Kosai Khouli, Caresse Bashar and Jamal Suleiman.

Al Daboor

Hami Bakkar in a scene for Al Daboor, a gripping historical drama released in 2010. Photo: MBC
Hami Bakkar in a scene for Al Daboor, a gripping historical drama released in 2010. Photo: MBC

Al Daboor is a gripping historical drama that began in Ramadan 2010. It unfolds as a man returns to his home neighbourhood 15 years after being expelled, determined to clear his name and reclaim his rightful possessions.

The first season of the series was well received. The second, released in 2011, became a sensation as many tuned in following Bab Al Hara’s cancellation, eager for a Syrian historical drama.

Al Zaeem

Al Zaeem was one of the last performances by the legendary late Syrian actor Khaled Taja, bottom right. Photo: Apple TV
Al Zaeem was one of the last performances by the legendary late Syrian actor Khaled Taja, bottom right. Photo: Apple TV

A social drama with a riveting power struggle at its core, Al Zaeem tells the story of the leader of a Syrian neighbourhood aiming to take over surrounding regions. The series, released in 2011, was one of the last performances by the legendary late Syrian actor Khaled Taja.

Al Khawali

Set in Ottoman-era Syria in the late 19th century, the series shares many of the traits with the others mentioned above, depicting nuances in Syrian society with a flair for the dramatic.

Al Khawali was important, particularly because it was released in 2000 and predates the surge in popularity of Syrian historical dramas. The series featured notable performances by several Syrian stars, including Abdul Rahman Al Rashi, Naji Jaber, Sabah Jazairi and Salim Kallas.

Continental champions

Best Asian Player: Massaki Todokoro (Japan)

Best European Player: Adam Wardzinski (Poland)

Best North & Central American Player: DJ Jackson (United States)

Best African Player: Walter Dos Santos (Angola)

Best Oceanian Player: Lee Ting (Australia)

Best South American Player: Gabriel De Sousa (Brazil)

Best Asian Federation: Saudi Jiu-Jitsu Federation

 

 

QUARTER-FINAL

Wales 20-19 France

Wales: T: Wainwright, Moriarty. Cons: Biggar (2) Pens: Biggar 2

France: T: Vahaamahina, Ollivon, Vakatawa Cons: Ntamack (2)

How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
  1. Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
  2. Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
  3. Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
  4. Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
  5. Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
  6. The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
  7. Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269

*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year

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EPL's youngest
  • Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
    15 years, 181 days old
  • Max Dowman (Arsenal)
    15 years, 235 days old
  • Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
    15 years, 271 days old
  • Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
    16 years, 30 days old
  • Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
    16 years, 68 days old
Company%20Profile
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THE SPECS

Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine 

Power: 420kW

Torque: 780Nm

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Price: From Dh1,350,000

On sale: Available for preorder now

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Why it pays to compare

A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.

Route 1: bank transfer

The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.

Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount

Total received: €4,670.30 

Route 2: online platform

The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.

Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction

Total received: €4,756

The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.

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Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

The story in numbers

18

This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens

450,000

More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps

1.5 million

There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m

73

The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association

18,000

The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme

77,400

The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study

4,926

This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee

Sarfira

Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal 

Rating: 2/5

Updated: January 08, 2025, 12:32 PM