The many colours of Raqqa

The many colours of Raqqa

The untold story of Abood Hamam, perhaps the only photojournalist to have worked under every major force in Syria's war - and lived to tell the tale. At the start of the uprising he was head of photography for the state news agency, SANA, taking official shots of President Assad and his wife Asma by day - and secretly filming opposition attacks by night. Later he defected and returned to his home town, Raqqa, where various rebel groups were competing for control. Other journalists fled when the terrorists of so-called Islamic State (IS) took over, but Abood stayed - and was asked by IS to film its victory parade. He sent pictures of life under IS to agencies all over the world - using a pseudonym. As the bombing campaign by the anti-IS coalition intensified, Abood moved away - but returned later to record the heartbreaking destruction - but also the slow return of life, and colour, to the streets. For months, he roamed through the ruins with his camera, seeing himself as ”the guardian of the city." Raqqa's future is still very uncertain, but Abood now wants everyone to see his pictures, which he posts on Facebook, and know his real name. He hopes the colours he's showing will tempt the thousands of families who've fled Raqqa to return home, and rebuild their lives, and their city.

Reporter: Tim Whewell Producer: Mohamad Chreyteh Sound mix: James Beard Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman Editor: Bridget Harney

(Image: Children running in Raqqa, 2019. Credit: Abood Hamam)

Episoder(2000)

Bridgerton: Behind the scenes

Bridgerton: Behind the scenes

Producer Jess Brownell takes us behind the scenes of Bridgerton. When the first series of Bridgerton premiered in 2020, it offered a welcome escape, inviting us into a world of high society romance, e...

16 Feb 26min

Body image and weight loss drugs

Body image and weight loss drugs

An advert shown during this year’s Super Bowl has prompted a backlash on social media. In the ad, tennis champion Serena Williams promotes a weight loss injection, saying she is "healthier" thanks to ...

14 Feb 23min

The spy who loved to dance

The spy who loved to dance

In April 2022, two months after Russia invaded Ukraine, a man in his thirties called Victor Muller Ferreira flew into Amsterdam airport using a Brazilian passport. He was identified by the Dutch autho...

13 Feb 26min

Kirsty Coventry: Becoming president of the IOC

Kirsty Coventry: Becoming president of the IOC

With the 2026 Winter Olympics well under way in Italy, we look to the most powerful woman in sport - the International Olympics Committee president, Kirsty Coventry. The most decorated African Olympia...

13 Feb 18min

The Gaudí code

The Gaudí code

Millions flock to Spain’s Sagrada Família to marvel at its towering tree-like columns, remarkable displays of light and ornate stonework. One hundred years after the master architect Antoni Gaudí’s de...

13 Feb 26min

Kentucky’s Real People Radio

Kentucky’s Real People Radio

For World Radio Day 2026, we visit WMMT in Whitesburg, Kentucky, one of many small community radio stations in the US existentially threatened by cuts to government funding. At a moment when news has...

12 Feb 26min

Trump and Greenland: How MAGA went Arctic

Trump and Greenland: How MAGA went Arctic

Why does President Trump really want Greenland? The Arctic territory is rich in vital minerals and oil. And it hosts an important American military base as the race for dominance in the Arctic heats u...

11 Feb 26min

Loving, living and dying together in the Netherlands

Loving, living and dying together in the Netherlands

Els and Jan have fewer than three days left on Earth. Childhood sweethearts who met in kindergarten more than six decades ago, they know precisely when they will die. And how. On an early summer’s Mon...

10 Feb 28min

Populært innen Samfunn

rss-spartsklubben
giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
konspirasjonspodden
aftenpodden-usa
rss-nesten-hele-uka-med-lepperod
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
popradet
rss-henlagt-andy-larsgaard
alt-fortalt
wolfgang-wee-uncut
grenselos
synnve-og-vanessa
frokostshowet-pa-p5
rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
rss-dannet-uten-piano
fladseth
min-barneoppdragelse
den-politiske-situasjonen
rss-frekvens-med-anine-olsen