These Stunning Wedding Photos Capture Love Amid The Devastation Of War

The aftermath of Syria's ongoing civil war might sound like the last backdrop you'd want for your wedding photos. But for one Syrian couple, taking wedding portraits in Homs, a city where the conflict has caused incredible destruction, had a special meaning.

Last Friday, Agence France-Presse photographer Joseph Eid captured a series of stunning photos of newlyweds, Nada Merhi, 18, and Hassan Youssef, 27. Youssef is a soldier in the Syrian army, The Atlantic reports.

In AFP's official caption for the photo series, Eid stated that he wanted to shoot the photos in Homs "to show that life is stronger than death."

Homs is a fitting background for Eid's theme, since the city represents "the clearest evidence of the destruction that the Syrian civil war has wrought upon the country,"The Independent explains. Once the third-largest city in Syria, Homs has become a wasteland amid the conflict. The Syrian army attacked the rebel-led Homs with airstrikes and other attacks, leaving it the largely destroyed city it is today.

Last month, twin attacks by the Islamic State group in Homs left at least 22 people dead, Al Bawaba reports. But Merhi and Youssef's wedding photos aim to demonstrate that even amid years of conflict, some Syrians still have hope for the country's future.

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