Umayyad

For weeks, Damascus's main Umayyad Square became a hub of celebrations.

In Damascus people gathered at the iconic Umayyad Mosque for prayers before the jubilant rallies called by the Islamist rebels who led the armed uprising against Assad.

People were also sweeping away spent bullet cases that littered the ground around the central Umayyad Square, where many rebel fighters fired into the air as crowds celebrated the end of Assad's 24-year rule.

People had gathered in the central Umayyad Square, overcome by the extraordinary end to more than five decades of authoritarian rule by the Assad regime – father and son.

He described celebrations in the streets and in Umayyad Square, a landmark in the heart of Damascus, and home to key government agencies, including the Ministry of Defence and the Syrian Armed Forces.