Only two years ago Syria's star in the West was on the rise, a far cry from the country torn by violence and condemned by the international community today. Travel articles touted it as a hot tourist destination, foreign affairs publications hailed the end of Syrian isolation and Syria's first lady was a media darling. Here are 12 snapshots of how it used to be just a short time ago.
A July 2010 cover of Syria Today, an English-language magazine published in Damascus, highlighted "great escapes" in Syria and boasted an interview with the UN high commissioner for refugees. Before the Syrian uprising began, Syria grappled with an influx of refugees, a tide that has now, of course, reversed.
(Photo: syria-today.com)
By Jillian C. York.