Syrians have stormed Bashar al-Assad’s abandoned presidential palace in Damascus, looting the dictator’s belongings, posing behind his desk and uncovering his large collection of luxury cars.
The dictator is believed to have fled the country to an undisclosed location on Sunday as his regime was brought crashing down after decades in power by a rebel uprising.
Assad’s whereabouts remains unclear, and his army appears to have dissolved, offering limited resistance in face of the rebel advance, and allowing rebel fighters and civilians to enter Assad’s presidential palace unchallenged.
As rebel groups took control of the Syrian capital, several videos emerged showing both fighters and civilians entering the sprawling New Shaab Palace and combing through its rooms and grounds.
Another ransacked room in the palace – Hussein Malla
Men, women and children can be seen touring the home and its large garden, with the rooms completely empty, save some furniture and a portrait of Assad thrown on the floor.
One notable clip showed looters exhibiting Assad’s collection of luxury vehicles.
The video gives a tour of a large hangar filled with millions of pounds worth of cars including Ferraris, Aston Martins, Rolls-Royces, BMWs, Mercedes and what appeared to be a Bugatti Veyron.
In another video, two rebel fighters could be seen firing automatic rifles into the sky as they entered the New Shaab Palace, which sits atop a hill overlooking the west of Damascus.
Inside, one clip showed five fighters carefully scouting through the marble-floored building, which covers 510,000 square meters and comprises three six-storey buildings.
Expensive paintings and wooden furniture are seen decorating its halls.
As fighters walked into one of the bathrooms, the video showed a jacuzzi in an en-suite bathroom.
A large bathtub inside the palace
In the supposed master bedroom, the telephone remained functioning and the fighters also discovered a list of phone numbers, seemingly left behind by the fleeing dictator.
The master bedroom
In addition to scouting the interior of the palace, one video on X also showed fighters smashing Assad’s family portraits, while another showed one person carrying an orange Louis Vuitton box as they walked up a flight of stairs.
At another of Assad’s palaces in Aleppo, rebel fighters found a picture of the Syrian leader as a young man, wearing nothing but a pair of speedos.
A photo of Bashar al-Assad (far-left) in a small swimsuit reportedly found in his personal belongings
Bashar al-Assad in Damascus – LOUAI BESHARA
In the night-time photo, Assad can be seen posing on the side of a boat with another man and two women, who were also wearing swimsuits. Their identities are unclear.
In response to the photograph, one Syrian woman wrote on X: “May Allah forgive you, you ruined our morning with this sight.”
Back in Damascus, some people were seen taking photos of their children inside the palace, seemingly unfazed by the armed fighters roaming the halls.
A man tries to take a chandelier as people loot the residences – Hussein Malla
Portraits have been smashed and torn apart – Hussein Malla
“I came for revenge; they oppressed us in incredible ways,” Abu Omar, 44, told France’s AFP news agency.
“I am taking pictures because I am so happy to be here in the middle of his house,” he added, showing photographs on his mobile phone.
The looting of Assad’s palace in Damascus comes after rebel groups launched a lightning offensive last week and quickly took control of the country’s largest cities – ending the Assad family’s decades of rule after more than 13 years of civil war in a seismic moment for the Middle East.
The offensive has ended the Assad family’s decades of rule after more than 13 years of civil war in a seismic moment for the Middle East.
Until Assad’s government fell, his residence and the presidential palace were strictly off limits to ordinary citizens.
As he moved from room to room, Abu Omar said he felt overjoyed.
“I no longer feel afraid. My only concern is that we unite (as Syrians) and build this country together,” he said with emotion in his voice.
