Syria: Real-life horror to TV drama; feared sites become sets for series

Site in the capital's southwestern suburbs 'used to be a symbol of military power. Now we are making a show about the fall of that power': Film director Aziz

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Abdul Aziz giving directions to actors during the filming of the TV series 'The King's Family' in Damascus on August 28, 2025. Abdul Aziz and Syrian actress Lina Diab during the filming of the TV series 'The King's Family' in Damascus on August 28, 2025.

(AFP AFP)

At a Damascus air base once off-limits under Bashar Al Assad, a crew now films a TV series about the final months of the ousted leader's rule as seen through the eyes of a Syrian family.

"It's hard to believe we're filming here," director Mohamad Abdul Aziz said from the Mazzeh base, which was once also a detention centre run by Assad's air force intelligence branch, known for its cruelty.

The site in the capital's southwestern suburbs "used to be a symbol of military power. Now we are making a show about the fall of that power", he told AFP.

Assad fled to Russia as an Islamist-led offensive closed in on Damascus, taking it without a fight on December 8 last year after nearly 14 years of civil war and half a century of Assad dynasty rule.

The scene at the Mazzeh base depicts the escape of a figure close to Assad, and is set to feature in The King's Family filmed in high-security locations once feared by regular Syrians.