Ramadan is seen as a time of religious reflection and worship, charity, and community, as they fast from sunrise until sunset.

Families broke their first day of fast with loved ones, as towns and cities lit festive lights and held events for communities to mark the occasion as they have for generations during times of peace and economic stability.

However, the impact of war and major political transformations that shook the region are still felt.

This is the first Ramadan for many Syrian spent without the Assad dynasty ruling the country in over half a century. President Bashar Assad was ousted in a lightning insurgency in December led by the country’s new Islamist de facto rulers in Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

Assad’s downfall brought initial joy and hope among Syrians, but the vast destruction following over a decade of war, economic turmoil that has plunged an estimated 90% of its population into poverty, and uncertainty over whether the country’s security will find stability anytime soon has simmered down that initial optimism. Families in once bustling neighborhoods reduced to rubble broke their fast by the ruins as charities arranged Iftar dinners.