ISIS' 'Roundabout Of Hell' Is Now Meeting Spot For Lovers
NDTV
Two years after ISIS was declared defeated in Syria, the revamped square is a far cry from the barren dirt mound that hosted some of the jihadist group's most repulsive acts.
Only a few years ago, Al-Naim square was the grim stage for Raqa's public executions. Today, Nader al-Hussein sits in its new arched design, waiting for his date to arrive.
"This is the best meeting point for lovers, families and friends," the 25-year-old says, sitting on one of the rare public benches in the bustling, war-ravaged north Syria city.
"Before, we used to avoid passing near it so that we wouldn't see blood and horror," Hussein says.
The Al-Naim (Paradise) traffic circle was anything but heavenly when the ISIS group reigned over Raqa, its former de facto Syrian capital, between 2014 and 2017.