14 photos that show what the nightlife is like in Damascus, Syria's war-torn capital

Omar Sanadiki/Reuters

The Syrian civil war has been raging for more than four years, and while millions of refugees have fled the country, there are many young Syrians who are just trying to live normal lives. In Damascus' Old City, just a mile away from the war's front lines, young Syrians have started going to bars and clubs in an effort to experience normality. This is not something you would have seen two years ago — many of these bars have opened just over the past couple of months. Below, take a look at what nightlife is like in Damascus' Old City, as captured by Reuters photographer Omar Sanadiki:

Security in Damascus improved in February, after Russia's intervention and a partial truce brought a sense of calm.

Source: Reuters

Locals started to go out and socialize a bit more.

"This is something you certainly wouldn't see two years ago, and it's picked up even more recently," 23-year-old Nicolas Rahal told Reuters. "I can now go to this pub or that nightclub. Places opened and people came."

Source: Reuters