Syrian man reopens hidden 15-year-old library after fleeing war
A Syrian father who concealed his son's books behind a concrete wall for 15 years has demolished the barrier and recovered the collection.
When the Syrian civil war began in 2011, Abu Bilal, an elderly resident of Homs, sealed his son Bilal Alwan's personal library behind a concrete and plaster partition to protect it from the Assad government's ban on subversive literature. The family later escaped Syria, with Bilal Alwan resettling in Kuwait as a refugee. After fifteen years, Abu Bilal went back to the house, used a hammer to dismantle the hidden wall, and discovered that the hundreds of books, manuscripts and religious texts remained in good condition.
The episode went viral online, highlighting the lengths Syrians went to preserve knowledge under an oppressive regime. No injuries or arrests were reported in the process. The recovered collection now serves as a symbol of cultural resilience amid conflict.
