ALEPPO, Syria — A lonesome darkness hangs over this war-ravaged city. It is as if time has gone hundreds of years back, to an era when electricity was not yet discovered. Near the rubble of destroyed buildings, among dozens of desolate buildings, light emanates from some balconies that are still inhabited, which gives you the feeling that there is still life here. You are in Aleppo, the economic capital and second-largest city in Syria.

For Aleppo residents, electricity is no longer a basic requirement: Its continuous interruption has led them to gradually dispense with it. Having electricity has turned into a luxury.

Many residents have even sold their electrical tools, their TVs, washing machines and irons, among other appliances that they no longer use. As for the refrigerators, they were turned into water tanks, or even libraries, whereas microwaves became used as storage for supplies.

As you walk on the streets of Aleppo, you may be surprised by a lively neighborhood where children can be seen celebrating, women heard uttering cries of joy to the sound of intermittent gunshots. No, those detained by the Syrian security services have not been released, nor has the war stopped. Electricity is back in this neighborhood.