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.
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.
Upon seeing Abu Omar’s automobiles, one cannot help but feel transported back to the 1950s when, in his youth, he began spending large sums of money to buy them — especially those that had belonged to celebrities and politicians.
Abu Omar currently owns 20 classic cars, most of which he parks on the street — save for three that take up space in the garden next to a big pile of spare parts he describes as “rare treasures” including old motors, headlamps, frames and steering wheels.
