Most of the rubble has been cleared away, but on the edge of the village a sad empty stone structure stands in a field of golden grass, a monument to those who will never return. We made for Bhamdoun, a town on the Damascus highway which was a popular resort before the civil war. It was badly smashed up during a battle in 1976 between the Syrian army and Palestinian guerrillas when Damascus was called upon to intervene by then president, Suleiman Frangie. There has been a good deal of reconstruction. The mosque built for Gulf tourists has been repaired.
Several hotels are operating, shops and restaurants are open, traffic is heavy.
The Gulf tourists have gone. Only 15 per cent of the displaced have returned to Aley, the major town on the highway. The market where I used to shop has been tidied up. But most of the gutted shops remain closed. The emirate of Qatar has donated funds for the restoration of St Antony's Church on the main road where we stop to buy a snack.