The Neighbor Who Became President and Rescued His Brother

In the affluent suburb of Mazzeh, located near Damascus, beige ten-story buildings with brown accents rise above lush courtyards. These structures overlook the highway leading to Beirut, Lebanon, and would offer a view of the Syrian presidential palace if not for the intervening buildings.

Ahmed al-Sharaa, once an unknown boy from this neighborhood, has transformed his life dramatically--from being an internationally wanted terrorist to a dictator's foe and now the president of Syria. His childhood surroundings may hold clues to his extraordinary journey.

Syria is currently undergoing a significant transformation, with statues and large portraits of former dictators, the Assad family, being removed. However, there are no new tributes to Ahmed al-Sharaa in his childhood neighborhood, which remains largely devoid of recognition for its most famous resident.

Inside a small local store on the ground floor of one of the high-rise buildings, shopkeeper Mohammed Asfahani recalls the young Ahmed. He notes, "From an early age, he stood out among the neighborhood kids. When he was around 16, I noticed him. He had a different demeanor and moved differently than the others. He seemed more mature and was incredibly polite."

Al-Sharaa's father, Hussein, once had a real estate office nearby, but the family left Syria when the civil war began, shortly after Ahmed adopted the name Abu Mohammad al-Jolani and joined the opposition against the regime. Asfahani mentions that the regime's security forces frequently came looking for Ahmed, especially in the weeks leading up to the regime's fall, making the atmosphere tense.

Mohammad abu Sami, a local barber, fondly remembers cutting the hair of Ahmed and his family over the years. "I might get more customers now that people know I used to cut the president's hair!" he laughs, while also noting that Ahmed has changed his look since those days.

Today, children play football on grassy patches between the buildings and the highway. Sixteen-year-old Laith proudly shares that he resides in the same building where the president grew up. "Now I feel like I can become anything. I want to be a professional football player," he declares, while his father hopes for support from humanitarian organizations, as the family still faces economic challenges.

Ahmed al-Sharaa was born in Saudi Arabia as one of six children to a father who was an economist and a mother who was a geography teacher. The family returned to Syria when Ahmed was seven years old. His mother was described as conservative and reserved, while his father had a more public presence, attending secret meetings discussing rebellion against the regime.

Many years later, Ahmed transformed from a quiet student at Damascus University into a radicalized individual who volunteered to fight in Iraq following the U.S. invasion in 2003. His journey led him to become a prominent rebel leader who ultimately overthrew the Assad regime.

In December 2024, during a family crisis involving the kidnapping of Maya al-Azim's brother, Ahmed's influence became evident. Maya faced threats and demanded ransoms for her brother's release, but unexpectedly, he was freed by Ahmed's men just before the ransom could be paid. Maya expressed her desire to thank Ahmed personally, as his actions had saved her brother's life.

As the new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa's past, rooted in this Damascus neighborhood, reflects a broader narrative of transformation amid a tumultuous political landscape. The community, once overshadowed by fear, now hopes for a prosperous future, free from the grips of past oppression.