BAQIRHA, Syria: Abdelaziz Al-Hassan did not want to live in an overcrowded camp after fleeing war in northwestern Syria, so instead his family pitched a tent in the ruins of a Roman temple. In the UNESCO-listed site of Baqirha, near the Turkish border, they are now among dozens of Syrians uprooted by war who have settled among centuries-old Roman and Byzantine ruins. Propped up over the centuries-old stones, solar panels soaked in the sun near a blackened pot on a small wood-burning stove. Local officials have asked families living on the archaeological site in Baqirha to leave, but they have refused until they are provided with alternative shelter. “We’ve gotten used to this place,” said Jaour, reluctant to uproot the family again at the start of the rainy winter season.

Source: Ethiopian News November 10, 2020 23:26 UTC