Local merchants prepared for the winter holidays, decorating their stores and stocking large assortments of jewelry, gifts, and Christmas-themed products.
The eastern part of Damascus was until recently a hot-spot for violence, with hard-line Islamist militants occupying the area and using it as a launchpad to attack government-held parts of the capital. However, after the Syrian Army liberated the area last year, with Russia's help, life is slowly returning and locals are hopeful for the future.
