On a side street of Aleppo’s al-Shaar neighbourhood in Syria is an unexpected sight in the war-torn city. The road is lined with classic cars, a collection belonging to Mohamed Badr al-Din.
The 66-year-old enthusiast, nicknamed Abu Omar, inherited his large collection from his father. Some of the cars belonged to former Syrian officials and in more peaceful times were used in movies and television shows.
The cars, which have been damaged by heavy shelling, are protected from passers-by by Abu Omar’s guard turkey.
Before the conflict, Abu Omar planned to open a museum to display his collection. He hopes that the turmoil in the country will end so that he can pursue his hobby and repair his cars.
Aleppo and surrounding areas have been hit by heavy fighting in the conflict which is now in its fourth year and has killed some 200,000 people, according to the United Nations.