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Syria civil war: New beginnings in Kobane

Thousands of people who fled from Kobane into neighbouring Turkey have since returned home.

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Kobane, a city in northern Syria with a Kurdish majority, was devastated during heavy fighting between Kurdish fighters and ISIL, combined with coalition air strikes. [Mauricio Morales/Al Jazeera]
By Mauricio Morales
Published On 13 May 2016

For Syrian Kurds, the battle for Kobane has been a pivotal part of their country’s five-year-old civil war.

Seized by fighters with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) in 2014, the northern town of Kobane was reclaimed by Kurdish fighters last year – only to have ISIL launch a fresh attack in the summer of 2015. Thousands of people who fled from Kobane into neighbouring Turkey have since returned home, as the town has struggled to rebuild its damaged infrastructure and social institutions.

In March, Kurdish groups declared an autonomous federal region in northern Syria, including Kobane – a move that has raised tensions with Turkey. The Kobane border crossing has been largely closed on the Turkish side, opening only a couple of days a week to allow Syrians to return home.

MORE: Meet the female Kurdish fighters battling ISIL

 

 

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Rebuilding the city will cost around $1.5bn, according to city authorities. [Mauricio Morales/Al Jazeera]
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Some 1,300 houses are estimated to be completely or partially destroyed. [Mauricio Morales/Al Jazeera]
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Despite the efforts of local authorities, much of the rubble has yet to be cleared from the city. [Mauricio Morales/Al Jazeera]
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A number of families have started returning to Kobane from neighbouring Turkey, despite the scale of destruction. [Mauricio Morales/Al Jazeera]
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Some have returned to open new businesses, such as this barber shop on Kobane's main commercial street. [Mauricio Morales/Al Jazeera]
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A new apartment project, currently under construction, is intended to house some of the poorest families whose homes were destroyed, as well as the families of fighters who died in battle. [Mauricio Morales/Al Jazeera]
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Other local businesses are also starting to reopen. [Mauricio Morales/Al Jazeera]
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Tens of thousands of people are estimated to have returned to Kobane, many of whom have been separated from their families for months. [Mauricio Morales/Al Jazeera]
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Turkish authorities open the border twice a week to allow people to return to Syria, but people are not allowed to enter Turkey. [Mauricio Morales/Al Jazeera]
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Many schools were damaged or destroyed in the fighting for Kobane, but some have resumed lessons. [Mauricio Morales/Al Jazeera]
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A measure of peace seems to have returned to the Syrian city. [Mauricio Morales/Al Jazeera]
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Abandoned weaponry such as tanks, remain in place, a reminder of the battles that raged in Kobane. [Mauricio Morales/Al Jazeera]
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This family celebrates a wedding in Kobane, a sign that a degree of normality is returning to the city. [Mauricio Morales/Al Jazeera]
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The bride and groom celebrate their new beginning. [Mauricio Morales/Al Jazeera]