Syrians celebrate new era: in pictures

Celebrations taking place in Damascus and across Syria after shock ousting of long-time president Bashar al-Assad

A girl shows a printed Syrian opposition flag in Damascus on December 9, 2024. Photograph: Louai Beshara/AFP/Getty Images
A girl shows a printed Syrian opposition flag in Damascus on December 9, 2024. Photograph: Louai Beshara/AFP/Getty Images
An anti-government fighter prays in the courtyard of Damascus' historic Umayyad mosque. Photograph: Abdul Ketaz/AFP/Getty Images
An anti-government fighter prays in the courtyard of Damascus' historic Umayyad mosque. Photograph: Abdul Ketaz/AFP/Getty Images
The leader of Syria's Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, address a crowd at the capital's landmark Umayyad Mosque. Photograph: Aref Tammawi/AFP/Getty Images
The leader of Syria's Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, address a crowd at the capital's landmark Umayyad Mosque. Photograph: Aref Tammawi/AFP/Getty Images
An opposition fighter steps on a broken bust of the late Syrian president Hafez Assad in Damascus following the downfall of the government of his son Bashar. Photograph: Hussein Malla/AP
An opposition fighter steps on a broken bust of the late Syrian president Hafez Assad in Damascus following the downfall of the government of his son Bashar. Photograph: Hussein Malla/AP
Syrians flocked to the main square of the capital city Damascus on December 9th to mark what many regard as a long-awaited new dawn after the fall of president Bashar al-Assad. Photograph: Louai Beshara/AFP/Getty Images
Syrians flocked to the main square of the capital city Damascus on December 9th to mark what many regard as a long-awaited new dawn after the fall of president Bashar al-Assad. Photograph: Louai Beshara/AFP/Getty Images
A man poses for a photo with anti-government fighters holding a Syrian opposition flag at Umayyad Square in Damascus. Photograph: Louai Beshara/AFP/Getty Images
A man poses for a photo with anti-government fighters holding a Syrian opposition flag at Umayyad Square in Damascus. Photograph: Louai Beshara/AFP/Getty Images
A girl poses for photos waving a Syrian opposition flag at Umayyad Square in Damascus. (Photograph: Omar Haj Kadour/AFP/Getty Images
A girl poses for photos waving a Syrian opposition flag at Umayyad Square in Damascus. (Photograph: Omar Haj Kadour/AFP/Getty Images
People celebrate holding a large Syrian opposition flag at Umayyad Square in Damascus. Photograph: Omar Haj Kadour/AFP/Getty Images
People celebrate holding a large Syrian opposition flag at Umayyad Square in Damascus. Photograph: Omar Haj Kadour/AFP/Getty Images
A man treads on a picture of Syria's ousted president Bashar al-Assad as people enter his residence in Damascus' al-Maliki area. Photograph: Omar Haj Kadour/AFP/Getty Images
A man treads on a picture of Syria's ousted president Bashar al-Assad as people enter his residence in Damascus' al-Maliki area. Photograph: Omar Haj Kadour/AFP/Getty Images
People remove the Syrian flag from the entrance of ousted president Bashar al-Assad's Al-Muhajirin residence in Damascus. Photograph: Bakr AL Kassem/AFP/Getty Images
People remove the Syrian flag from the entrance of ousted president Bashar al-Assad's Al-Muhajirin residence in Damascus. Photograph: Bakr AL Kassem/AFP/Getty Images
A woman displays a printed Syrian opposition flag while standing atop a car as she celebrates at Umayyad Square in Damascus. Photograph: Louai Beshara/AFP/Getty Images
A woman displays a printed Syrian opposition flag while standing atop a car as she celebrates at Umayyad Square in Damascus. Photograph: Louai Beshara/AFP/Getty Images
Assad fled to Russia the day before after a lightning offensive spearheaded by Islamist rebels ousted him from power, opening a new chapter in Syria's history after five decades of rule by his clan. Photograph: Omar Haj Kadour/AFP/Getty Images
Assad fled to Russia the day before after a lightning offensive spearheaded by Islamist rebels ousted him from power, opening a new chapter in Syria's history after five decades of rule by his clan. Photograph: Omar Haj Kadour/AFP/Getty Images
Syrian residents who live in Turkey wait in a queue at Cilvegozu crossborder gate before entering Syria at the Reyhanli district in Hatay. Photograph: Ozan Kose/AFP/Getty Images
Syrian residents who live in Turkey wait in a queue at Cilvegozu crossborder gate before entering Syria at the Reyhanli district in Hatay. Photograph: Ozan Kose/AFP/Getty Images
A Syrian woman and her child waiy at the Cilvegozu crossborder gate before entering Syria at the Reyhanli district in Hatay. Photograph: Ozan Kose/AFP/Getty Images
A Syrian woman and her child waiy at the Cilvegozu crossborder gate before entering Syria at the Reyhanli district in Hatay. Photograph: Ozan Kose/AFP/Getty Images
An armed rebel walks in the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria. Photograph: Bilal Alhammoud/EPA-EFE
An armed rebel walks in the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria. Photograph: Bilal Alhammoud/EPA-EFE