Alalam - Syria

Muhammad Jraik is one such proprietor.

He used to own two shops in the Ancient City area of Aleppo until one of them was destroyed by a bomb during the conflicts.

The other store was very close to the battlefield, so it was too dangerous to keep open.

"I'm really happy that the government troops retook control of the old city.

Not long before, I couldn't even stand here like this. Snipers were just around the corner.

I know that many people here were killed by the snipers, so I feel happy from the bottom of my heart now," said Jraik.

"We want to reopen the store, that's why I'm here.

We want to restore this place, or even make it better than ever," he added.

Jraik said he wants the conflicts across Syria to end as soon as possible so that he and other local residents can go back to their normal lives.

The old city of Aleppo, or the Ancient City of Aleppo, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986 and has been a major battlefield since the rebels took the control of the city in 2012.

The area has been severely damaged during the conflicts.

SA