Historic Christian town of Maaloula near Damascus
Two Syrian soldiers light candles at Mar George Monastery in the Maaloula town in the countryside of Damascus, Syria on April 20, 2014. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday made a rare visit to the historic Christian town of Maaloula, north of the capital Damascus, to mark Easter, according to the official SANA news agency. (xinhua/Bassem Tellawi)