<p class="title">With Christmas approaching, Nabil al-Aash dusts off religious books as he attempts to tidy up the war-scarred Saint George Church in the town of Arbin, northeast of the Syrian capital Damascus.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Retaken in the spring by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad during a brutal offensive to capture the rebel stronghold of Eastern Ghouta, Arbin is anything but festive.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Rubble from razed buildings spills out into deserted streets lined with burned-out cars and twisted scraps of metal. The town looks more apocalyptic than merry.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Arbin's only church, Saint George's flame-scorched walls and empty nave are a testament to the seven-year conflict that has left more than 360,000 people dead and displaced millions.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"There's no celebration here. Christian homes are destroyed and their church is destroyed," says Aash.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The restoration of the Greek Orthodox church, built in 1873, "will take a lot of time, money and effort", he adds.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"There's not a single icon left -- all of them were either burned or stolen," said the 55-year-old, approaching the altar.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We also found broken crosses."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Aash fled Arbin in 2012 as fighting engulfed the town, plagued afterwards for years by violence and a crippling siege imposed by Damascus.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But after regime forces retook the area, he decided to return home.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I grew up in this church, I spent all of my Christmases here... it was once overflowing with joy," he remembers.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I almost collapsed when I saw it."</p>.<p class="bodytext">For him, the festive spirit "won't return until the residents and parishioners do".</p>.<p class="bodytext">After a blistering offensive backed by Russian air power, government forces in April retook Eastern Ghouta, a key rebel foothold at the gates of Damascus.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The military push and years of shelling flattened large swathes of the area and forced most of its pre-war population to flee.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Before the war, Arbin was home to some 3,000 Christian residents, according to Mayor Khalil Tohme.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But despite the return of relative calm to the capital and its surroundings, Arbin residents are still hesitant to come back.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We are only five Christians who regularly visit the town, the others go from time to time... most of their homes are destroyed," says Aash.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A few dozen meters away from the church, Joseph Hakimeh directs a worker on a ladder as he puts the final touches to a freshly painted wall of a restored home.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The contractor is getting ready to hand the keys back to the owner, and is working on three other homes in addition to his own.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We're preparing to return as soon as services and infrastructure are ready, but that needs time," he says.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Sitting on a can of paint, the 39-year-old yearns for the way things once were.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I hope that next year everything will return to the way it was before -- Christmas trees, decorations, carols and prayers," he says.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The mood is gloomy is Arbin, but just a few kilometres away, bright coloured lights illuminate the streets of Damascus.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A giant tree decorates Abbasiyyin Square, long avoided due to its proximity to the frontline with the former rebel stronghold.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Festive lights and garlands also decorate homes in the predominantly Christian neighbourhood of Kassaa in eastern Damascus.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But not everyone is in the Christmas spirit.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Since Riad Rajiha's family arrived to the area after fleeing Arbin in 2012, they have not had the heart to celebrate.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We left our Christmas tree behind, so we missed out on decorating," says Rajiha, his eyes brimming with tears.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"What's the meaning of decorating a tree in a house that's not yours?"</p>.<p class="bodytext">Leafing through an old photo album, he revisits pictures of the Saint George Church in all its former glory.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Large chandeliers hang from its high ceilings, its wooden pews packed with parishioners.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Our roots are there and our memories are there," says the 66-year-old, who dreams of celebrating the holiday in Arbin with his grandchildren.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I was born in Arbin, I lived in Arbin, and I hope to be die and be buried there."</p>
<p class="title">With Christmas approaching, Nabil al-Aash dusts off religious books as he attempts to tidy up the war-scarred Saint George Church in the town of Arbin, northeast of the Syrian capital Damascus.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Retaken in the spring by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad during a brutal offensive to capture the rebel stronghold of Eastern Ghouta, Arbin is anything but festive.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Rubble from razed buildings spills out into deserted streets lined with burned-out cars and twisted scraps of metal. The town looks more apocalyptic than merry.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Arbin's only church, Saint George's flame-scorched walls and empty nave are a testament to the seven-year conflict that has left more than 360,000 people dead and displaced millions.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"There's no celebration here. Christian homes are destroyed and their church is destroyed," says Aash.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The restoration of the Greek Orthodox church, built in 1873, "will take a lot of time, money and effort", he adds.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"There's not a single icon left -- all of them were either burned or stolen," said the 55-year-old, approaching the altar.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We also found broken crosses."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Aash fled Arbin in 2012 as fighting engulfed the town, plagued afterwards for years by violence and a crippling siege imposed by Damascus.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But after regime forces retook the area, he decided to return home.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I grew up in this church, I spent all of my Christmases here... it was once overflowing with joy," he remembers.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I almost collapsed when I saw it."</p>.<p class="bodytext">For him, the festive spirit "won't return until the residents and parishioners do".</p>.<p class="bodytext">After a blistering offensive backed by Russian air power, government forces in April retook Eastern Ghouta, a key rebel foothold at the gates of Damascus.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The military push and years of shelling flattened large swathes of the area and forced most of its pre-war population to flee.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Before the war, Arbin was home to some 3,000 Christian residents, according to Mayor Khalil Tohme.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But despite the return of relative calm to the capital and its surroundings, Arbin residents are still hesitant to come back.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We are only five Christians who regularly visit the town, the others go from time to time... most of their homes are destroyed," says Aash.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A few dozen meters away from the church, Joseph Hakimeh directs a worker on a ladder as he puts the final touches to a freshly painted wall of a restored home.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The contractor is getting ready to hand the keys back to the owner, and is working on three other homes in addition to his own.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We're preparing to return as soon as services and infrastructure are ready, but that needs time," he says.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Sitting on a can of paint, the 39-year-old yearns for the way things once were.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I hope that next year everything will return to the way it was before -- Christmas trees, decorations, carols and prayers," he says.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The mood is gloomy is Arbin, but just a few kilometres away, bright coloured lights illuminate the streets of Damascus.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A giant tree decorates Abbasiyyin Square, long avoided due to its proximity to the frontline with the former rebel stronghold.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Festive lights and garlands also decorate homes in the predominantly Christian neighbourhood of Kassaa in eastern Damascus.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But not everyone is in the Christmas spirit.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Since Riad Rajiha's family arrived to the area after fleeing Arbin in 2012, they have not had the heart to celebrate.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We left our Christmas tree behind, so we missed out on decorating," says Rajiha, his eyes brimming with tears.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"What's the meaning of decorating a tree in a house that's not yours?"</p>.<p class="bodytext">Leafing through an old photo album, he revisits pictures of the Saint George Church in all its former glory.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Large chandeliers hang from its high ceilings, its wooden pews packed with parishioners.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Our roots are there and our memories are there," says the 66-year-old, who dreams of celebrating the holiday in Arbin with his grandchildren.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I was born in Arbin, I lived in Arbin, and I hope to be die and be buried there."</p>