A signed 2002 portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip was among the treasures inside Bashar al-Assad’s New Shaab Palace in Damascus, now taken over by rebel forces. The portrait, a relic of the Syrian president’s diplomatic visit to Buckingham Palace with his British-born wife Asma, was found in a room filled with prized possessions and diplomatic gifts.
The room, now widely photographed, contains gold-encrusted chests, paintings, pottery and mementos of Assad’s rule, including a rug with his face, a gold 2005 FIFA World Cup, the NYT reports. Also includes awards and a silver shield. This photo from 2002 reminds us of the time Assad met global leaders as he attempted to rehabilitate Syria’s image after his father’s brutal rule.
Bashar al-Assad, who once projected an image of reform, saw his regime collapse in a brutal civil war that began in 2011. He and his family hastily fled Damascus on 8 December and sought refuge in Moscow as rebel forces advanced. After a 12-day attack the capital was stormed. Evidence of his sudden departure was visible in the palace, where military maps lay scattered on Assad’s desk. Hours later, citizens posed for selfies at the heavily guarded workplace – marking the fall of their long-standing regime.
As the palace doors opened, footage showed civilians and fighters looting items ranging from Louis Vuitton bags to chandeliers. Outside, Assad’s fleet of luxury vehicles, including Ferraris, Aston Martins, Rolls-Royces and Bugatti Veyrons, became a spectacle for the crowd.
The rebels now guard the palace gates and prevent looting, using the grand reception rooms as resting places. Inside, the remains of the hastily abandoned regime – shredded documents, half-baked coffee cups and scattered luxuries – paint a vivid picture of the fall of the Assad dynasty.
This scene echoes the fall of other autocratic leaders. In 2011, a golden dagger worth $10 million was found in the compound of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, along with a jewel-encrusted pistol and a bizarre portrait of Condoleezza Rice, later recovered in 2016.
