On December 8, 2024, people entered the Damascus residence of Syria's ousted president, Bashar Al Assad, located in the Al Maliki area. This followed Islamist-led rebels' declaration of seizing the Syrian capital in a swift offensive, forcing Assad to flee and marking the end of over five decades of Baath rule in Syria.— AFP

Roaming through the luxurious Damascus home of the deposed Syrian president Bashar Al Assad, Abu Omar experienced a profound sense of triumph in being inside the residence of the man he believed had long oppressed him. "I am taking pictures because I am so happy to be here in the middle of his house," the 44-year-old said, displaying photos he captured on his mobile phone. He was among dozens seen by an AFP correspondent on Sunday entering Assad's home after the president fled the country—reportedly to Moscow, according to Russian news agencies—as rebels took control of the capital in an 11-day lightning offensive.

The rapid campaign led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS) and its allies brought an end to more than five decades of oppressive rule by the Assad family. "I came for revenge. They oppressed us in unimaginable ways," Abu Omar added, standing in the compound of three six-story buildings in the upscale Al Maliki neighborhood. Jubilant men, women, and children wandered through the home and its expansive garden in a state of disbelief, with rooms stripped bare except for some furniture and a portrait of Assad discarded on the floor.

Residents of the Syrian capital were seen celebrating in the streets as rebel factions announced the departure of "tyrant" Assad. The government's fall came more than 13 years after Assad's brutal crackdown on anti-government protests sparked Syria's civil war, which has involved foreign powers, militants, and claimed over half a million lives. On Sunday, videos circulating online showed crowds peering into the bedrooms of the Assad residence, which had been off-limits to ordinary citizens.

People were seen grabbing clothes, plates, and any belongings they could find, including a Louis Vuitton cardboard shopping bag. In one video, a man could be heard shouting that everything was on "Sale! Sale!" Umm Nader, 35, came with her husband from a nearby district to visit the residence that once inspired fear and awe, now described by one visitor as a "museum."

"I came to see this place that we were forbidden from, because they wanted us to live in poverty and deprivation," she told AFP. Nader noted that the former inhabitants of the residence had left without cutting off the heating and electricity, "while our children are getting sick from the cold." Daily power outages lasting for hours have been a harsh reality in Syria, struggling with successive economic crises after over a decade of war and Western sanctions.

Most of the population has been plunged into poverty, according to the United Nations. An AFP correspondent also observed a charred reception hall at the Damascus presidential palace, a few kilometers away. As Abu Omar moved from room to room, he expressed his joy. "I no longer feel afraid. My only concern is that we unite (as Syrians) and rebuild this country together," he said, his voice filled with emotion.

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