Syrians stuck in Greece share memories from home
They fled their homes in war-torn Syria with only what they could carry on their backs. Then many were forced to leave even those bags on the shores of Turkey as they embarked on short but dangerous boat across the Aegean Sea to Greece. The one thing they managed to keep with them was photographs.
Some bring back happy memories that help cut through the sadness at leaving everything they knew behind. Nadima Allo couldn't hold back tears as she talked about the home in Aleppo's northern district of Sheikh Maqsud where she and her husband, Henef Slu, 37, lived with their two children, now ages 5 and 6. They're in a shelter at the Ritsona refugee camp north of Athens.
Her husband showed a photo of their wedding day in 2010, saying, "It was the most beautiful day of my life the day I got married to my wife, Nadima. We had a lot of guests, family and friends. This photograph was the only thing we carried with us from home."
Amineh Hamad and Ali Abdulqader, both 58, carry a photo of them on a summer day in 2010 that they spent at the Roman site of Busra al-Sham, a place they dream of returning to. It was one of a few photographs they brought with them when they left their home in the Eastern Ghouta region near Damascus. They're also living in the Ritsona camp, but hoping to settle in a European city and start their life over again.
In this Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017 photo, Amineh Hamad, 58, a Syrian refugee from Eastern Ghouta near Damascus, shows a photograph of herself and her husband Ali Abdulqader, 58, at her shelter in the Ritsona refugee camp, Greece. "It was the last time we visited the Roman site of Busra al-Sham, a sunny Friday during the summer of 2010, we had a barbecue, walked and laughed a lot, a day from life, we miss these days, we hope one day it will come back." Amineh said. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
"We had a barbecue, walked and laughed a lot, a day from life, we miss these days, we hope one day it will come back," Hamad said.
Others carry reminders of relatives left behind, or those who have gone on ahead to Europe. More than 62,000 refugees and other migrants have been stuck in Greece since a series of Balkan border closures and a European Union-Turkey deal on stemming migration. Almost all hope to be granted asylum and be resettled in other European countries, so they are not directly affected in terms of refuge by the recent order halting the U.S. refugee program.
"When you are in fear of your life and forced to flee your home, what mattered the most after being safe is these memories, the photographs of my children," said 40-year-old Sahar Dargzini, who shared pictures of her two sons and two daughters when they were small. They now range in age from 15 to 26. One lives in Turkey and two in Sweden. Dargzini, who fled Damascus and has been living in a tent with her husband in a Greek camp in the northern city of Thessaloniki for the last seven months, hopes to join her oldest daughter, Dania, 26, who is living in Norway.
"I want to see my granddaughter for the first time, I want to be able to hold her in my arms and tell her that I am her grandmother," she said.
In this Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017 photo, Sheikhmous Hussein, 33, a Syrian refugee from the northern district of Al-Ashrafiya, Aleppo, shows photographs from his wedding day, at his shelter in the refugee camp of Ritsona, Greece. "It was on the 8th of March 2014, these photographs were the only thing we managed to carry with us from Aleppo." Hussein said. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
In this Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017 photo, Henef Slu, 37, a Syrian refugee from Aleppo's northern district of Sheikh Maqsud, holds a photograph of his wedding day, from the window of his shelter in Ritsona refugee camp, Greece. "It was the most beautiful day of my life the day I married my wife Nadima, we had a lot of guests, family and friends, this photograph was the only thing we carried with us from home." Henef said. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
In this Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017 photo, Sahar Dargzini, 40, a Syrian refugee from Baghdad street in Damascus, shows photographs of her children when they were young, from right, Amal who currently is 24 and lives in Norway, Dania who currently is 26 and lives in Turkey, Mohyeddin, who currently is 15 and lives in Sweden and Salahudin who currently is 20 and lives in Sweden, at her tent in Kalochori refugee camp on the outskirts of the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki. "I love keeping my children pictures with me all the times, they will always remain my children, I hope they will allow me to go to Norway and be with my daughter and see my granddaughter Mirna." Sahar said. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
In this Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017 photo, Dilgash Hassan, 31, a Syrian refugee from al-Hasaka, holds a photograph of his father Khalil when he was younger, at Frakapor refugee camp on the outskirts of the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki. "I have been carrying this picture for the last ten years, it is a holy picture for me, my father is my role model." Dilgash said. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
In this Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017 photo, Fidan Kiru, 31, a Syrian refugee from Afrin, holds a photograph taken in 2004 showing herself and her husband Mohyeddin, when he was 27-years-old, and her sons, younger to older, Avindar, 8 months, Khalid, 4 and Levant, 6, at her tent in Kalochori refugee camp on the outskirts of the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki. "This is the only group family picture we have, my husband is currently in Germany and I hope they will allow me to join him." Fidan said. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
In this Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017 photo, Heven Daood, 39, a Syrian refugee from Tell-Tawil in al-Hasaka, shows a photograph of her husband Reiad, 45, at her shelter in Ritsona refugee camp, Greece. "I have this photograph with me for the last 10 years, it is a very precious picture, my husband used to travel a lot for work, and this image always remained close to my heart." Heven said. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
In this Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017 photo, Ibraheem Ghareeb, 55, a Syrian refugee from al-Zohour Street in Aleppo, shows a photograph of his daughters, Mariam, when she was 7-years-old and currently 20 and lives in Germany, and his late daughter Layla, 13, who passed away in 2004 back in Syria, at his tent in Kalochori refugee camp on the outskirts of the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki. "This is the only physical memory that I have left of my late daughter Layla, and it never leave my sight." Ibraheem said. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
In this Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017 photo, Suad Abdulmajeed, 57, a Syrian refugee from Al-Qamishly, shows a photograph of her son Ayaz, at her tent in Kalochori refugee camp on the outskirts of the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki. "We fled from Bashar, referring to the Syrian president, and the Islamic State with nothing but fear, we just wanted to be safe, my son and husband are in Germany, and all I want is to be with them." Suad said. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
In this Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017 photo, Habeeba Waqas, 40, a Syrian refugee from Aleppo, holds a photograph showing her husband Mohammed and her father in law Suliman at her tent in Frakapor refugee camp on the outskirts of the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki. "This is the only memory that I carried with me from Syria, my husband was young and handsome in this picture." Habeeba said. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
In this Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017 photo, Kulnawaz Youssef, 13, a Syrian refugee from Al-Qamishly, shows a photograph of her mother Suad, at her tent in Kalochori refugee camp on the outskirts of the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki. "We fled our home with nothing, having my mother's photograph with me makes me feel safe." Kulnawaz said. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
In this Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017 photo, Rustum Abdulrahman, 35, a Syrian refugee from the northern district of Al-Ashrafiya, Aleppo, shows a photograph of his wife Zuzan, 33, at Ritsona refugee camp, Greece. "I keep this image always with me, I made it as small as possible so no matter what it won't be damaged and will never loose it, my wife is my best friend and the partner of my life." Rustum said. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
Text from the AP news story, AP Photos: Syrians stuck in Greece share memories from home, by Muhammed Muheisen.
Muhammed Muheisen is The Associated Press' chief photographer for the Middle East, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
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