DARAYA, Syria (AP) — In the war-ravaged town of Daraya, on the outskirts of Damascus, a group of young Syrian artists has turned the ruins of a bombed-out house into a canvas of remembrance. On the collapsed ceiling, they painted a colorful graffiti mural honoring families lost during years of conflict.
The project was led by Bilal Shoraba, seen in a yellow T-shirt, who was an activist and graffiti artist during the Syrian army’s siege of Daraya between 2012 and 2016. During that time, when the city became a center of resistance to then-President Bashar Assad’s rule, Shoraba created about 30 graffiti works as quiet acts of defiance.
A group of Syrian graffiti artists sketch a mural on the collapsed ceiling of a war-damaged house in Daraya, on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
A group of Syrian graffiti artists sketch a mural on the collapsed ceiling of a war-damaged house in Daraya, on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
Assad was ousted in a lightning rebel offensive in December, halting nearly 14 years of civil war that killed around half a million people, displaced millions more, and left tens of thousands missing.
After returning to Daraya, Shoraba launched a workshop with the Dar Ebla Cultural Center to teach local youth the art of graffiti. The mural seen here grew out of that collaboration — a symbol of resilience and renewal in a place once synonymous with loss.
In the midst of shattered walls and broken homes, their paint brings a touch of color and hope back to Daraya.
This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
A group of Syrian graffiti artists paint a mural on the collapsed ceiling of a war-damaged house in Daraya, on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
A group of Syrian graffiti artists paint a mural on the collapsed ceiling of a war-damaged house in Daraya, on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
A group of Syrian graffiti artists paint a mural on the collapsed ceiling of a war-damaged house in Daraya, on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
A group of Syrian graffiti artists paint a mural on the collapsed ceiling of a war-damaged house in Daraya, on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
Paint and brushes sit on rubble next to a graffiti mural recently painted by a group of Syrian graffiti artists on the collapsed ceiling of a war-damaged house in Daraya, on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
Paint and brushes sit on rubble next to a graffiti mural recently painted by a group of Syrian graffiti artists on the collapsed ceiling of a war-damaged house in Daraya, on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
A group of Syrian graffiti artists look at a mural they painted on the collapsed ceiling of a war-damaged house in Daraya, on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
A group of Syrian graffiti artists look at a mural they painted on the collapsed ceiling of a war-damaged house in Daraya, on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
Syrian graffiti artists paint a mural on a war-damaged house in Daraya, on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
Syrian graffiti artists paint a mural on a war-damaged house in Daraya, on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
A Syrian graffiti artist paints on the collapsed ceiling of a war-damaged house in Daraya, on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
A Syrian graffiti artist paints on the collapsed ceiling of a war-damaged house in Daraya, on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
A group of Syrian graffiti artists pose for a photo after painting a mural on the collapsed ceiling of a war-damaged house in Daraya, on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
A group of Syrian graffiti artists pose for a photo after painting a mural on the collapsed ceiling of a war-damaged house in Daraya, on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)