8/12/2024–|Last updated: 12/8/202401:52 PM (Mecca time)
Al Jazeera's camera roamed inside the People's Palace in Damascus, after the Syrian armed opposition announced the fall of the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The entry of opposition forces into the capital – at dawn on Sunday – was the culmination of their rapid victories in recent days, which constituted a defining moment in the course of the Syrian revolution that has been ongoing for more than a decade.
Al Jazeera correspondent Montaser Abu Nabout documented in exclusive scenes the atmosphere of the palace, which became a destination for people from Damascus and other Syrian regions, as they entered it accompanied by opposition fighters.
The palace consists of several interconnected buildings, and includes a large number of rooms, including a huge meeting hall, which reflects the luxurious character of the place.
While the Al Jazeera correspondent toured some corners and halls of the palace, voices of takbir and chants rose from citizens who were roaming freely for the first time in this site, which was closed to the general public.
According to Al Jazeera's correspondent, the palace witnessed some tampering with its contents, which was the reason for the high state of public tension. However, the palace seemed to have turned into a landmark that people visited out of curiosity and the desire to explore the place that had long been a symbol of the regime's dominance.
The children were also not far from the scene, as they were seen running between the halls and rooms, in moments that seemed closer to celebrating victory over the Assad regime.
The People's Palace is located on an honorable hill west of the capital, Damascus, and was built in the 1980s during the era of the late President Hafez al-Assad, to be the official headquarters of the Presidency of the Republic.
For decades, the palace remained a symbol of the authority of the ruling regime, as Bashar al-Assad used it to manage state affairs, along with other palaces in the capital, Damascus.
The regime of Bashar al-Assad fell at dawn on Sunday, after he lost control of the capital, Damascus, and entered the control of the armed Syrian opposition factions.
On November 27, clashes broke out between Syrian regime forces and opposition factions in the western countryside of Aleppo Governorate.
The opposition forces were then able to impose their control on Aleppo, Idlib, Hama, Daraa, then Suwayda, Homs, and finally Damascus.
