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Classic cars withstood coups, but can they survive war in Aleppo?

Abu Omar's family has sought refuge elsewhere, but he remains in Aleppo with his collection of classic cars and antiques.

Abu Omar a 69-year-old Syrian classic car collector, stands next to one of his cars in the rebel held al-Shaar district of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, on December 20, 2015. The ongoing five-year conflict in Syria put an end to Abu Omar's dream to exhibit his classic car collection, which he's struggling to maintain from further damage as fighting continues to riddle the country. AFP PHOTO / KARAM AL-MASRI / AFP / KARAM AL-MASRI        (Photo credit should read KARAM AL-MASRI/AFP/Getty Images)
Abu Omar, a 69-year-old Syrian classic car collector, stands next to one of his cars in the rebel-held al-Shaar district of Aleppo, Syria, Dec. 20, 2015. — KARAM AL-MASRI/AFP/Getty Images

ALEPPO — On one of the charming streets of Aleppo’s al-Shaar neighborhood, devastated by bombardment by the Bashar al-Assad regime and its allies, Mohammad Mohiuddin Anis — known as Abu Omar — parks his classic automobiles on both sides of the road across from the old building that he calls home.

Some rust now covers most of the cars, whose windows have been shattered. One looked agape, its front end smashed under the weight of fallen masonry from an air raid whose payload struck a few meters from Abu Omar’s house.

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