Syrian man recovers library hidden behind wall for 15 years

Amr bin Mustafa Alwan, also identified as Abu Bilal, has recovered a private library he hid behind a wall in Syria 15 years ago. To protect his collection from censorship and seizure by the Bashar al-Assad regime, Alwan built a brick wall in late 2011 to conceal his books, magazines, and personal documents before fleeing to Kuwait.

Upon returning to his home in Damascus and Homs following the fall of the Assad government in late 2024, Alwan used a hammer to break through the barrier. He discovered that the collection—which includes religious texts on hadith, jurisprudence, and tafsir, as well as Quranic memorization certificates, manuscripts, and academic documents—remained largely intact with minimal dust accumulation.

The recovery of these works serves as a symbol of cultural preservation amidst the Syrian civil war. Since the change in leadership, previously banned intellectual and religious works have begun to reappear in Syrian bookstores and literary events.