Photos: Syrian photographer documents loss and rebirth in the country following the fall of Assad  

Photographer Alaa Hassan was 25 years old when the uprisings against Bashar al-Assad began in Syria in March of 2011. 

He was part of the movement that grew quickly against the former president and turned into a civil war. 

In 2013, facing mandatory military conscription and the death of some of his closest friends at the hands of security forces, Hassan decided to leave the country. 

It wasn’t until last December, when the Assad government fell after 14 years of fighting, that he was able to return. Now, Hassan has a new mission: to document both the loss and the rebirth of his country through his camera lens. 

Hassan said that he hopes to eventually publish his project, “Vital Signs.” He shared a selection of his photos below. (To learn more about Hassan, check out The World’s profile here).