Syrians have taken to the streets to celebrate the first anniversary of the removal of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad amid renewed optimism that conditions will continue to improve as the country recovers from the effects of nearly 14 years of war.

Fireworks rang out, and flags dotted cities across the country on Monday, marking one year since the al-Assad dynasty fell after a lightning 11-day offensive by opposition forces ended its 53-year rule.

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President Ahmed al-Sharaa, speaking at a press conference in Damascus, paid tribute to those who fought to overthrow the former regime.

“To those who are now present here in the heart of history, you are shaping a story of intrepidness and bravery,” he said.

“Today we mark one year of liberating Syria from the shackles of tyranny and dictatorship, restoring the country once again to greatness. Stand with your heads held high. We had lost our homeland for more than five decades, during which this gang attempted to fleece it of its civilisation, history and traditions.”

Earlier, dressed in military uniform, al-Sharaa performed the dawn prayer at the Umayyad Mosque to commemorate the anniversary. “No one will stand in our way, no matter how big or powerful they are,” he said.

“We will face all challenges, God willing. From its north to its south, from its east to its west, we will rebuild a strong Syria worthy of its present and its past, a Syria that supports the oppressed and establishes justice among the people.”

Military parades organised by the Ministry of Defence took place in Damascus and across several provinces, including in Hama, Homs and Deir Az Zor.

‘Only a part of the dream came true’

Over the last year, the new government has taken steps to provide basic services to citizens.

A presidential decree in June raised civil servants’ minimum monthly salaries.

Repair and maintenance work began on the country’s power grid, with main cities, including Aleppo, Homs and Damascus, receiving uninterrupted electricity on a trial basis for the first time in 15 years.

Prisons that left dark marks on the Syrian public, including Sednaya, the Mezzeh military prison, and Khatib, were also permanently closed.

But while the mood in the nation is joyous, with people celebrating on the streets, chanting, singing and waving flags, “there’s a lot of work to be done”, said Al Jazeera’s Assed Baig, reporting from Aleppo.

The city, which was split until 2016 between opposition fighters and pro-Assad forces, took a “real battering” that will “cost billions of dollars to rebuild and restore”, he said.

“That’s why the government is looking to international partners for investment, to help with the rebuilding of this country, especially Aleppo, because the fighting here was so fierce,” said Baig.

Meanwhile, millions of refugees and members of the diaspora are weighing the decision to return home and rebuild their lives after the fall of al-Assad, who fled to Russia a year ago.

The war started as a largely unarmed uprising against al-Assad in March 2011, but quickly morphed into a full-blown conflict that killed hundreds of thousands of people. It also led to one of the world’s largest migration crises, with some 6.8 million Syrians, about a third of the population, fleeing the country at the war’s peak in 2021, seeking refuge wherever they could find it.

More than 782,000 Syrians have returned to Syria from other countries over the past year, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Despite the rise in returns, limited job opportunities and high living costs continue to undermine long-term resettling. Housing remains unaffordable for many, leaving returnees in damaged homes or expensive rental units.

Young people in Syria are particularly hopeful about change, but the need for more jobs and for the economy to revive is urgent.

“Only a part of the dream came true,” student Maha Khalil told Al Jazeera.

“We have victory, but we lost years, homes, children. The real story begins now. We hope we will rebuild, but the youth are thinking of going abroad. And those who are abroad are afraid of coming back.”

Focus inward

Syria received international support on its anniversary, with United Nations chief Antonio Guterres reaffirming the organisation’s commitment to ensure the success of Syria’s political transition.

“On this anniversary, we stand united in purpose – to build a foundation of peace and prosperity and renew our pledge to a free, sovereign, united and inclusive Syria,” he said.

Heiko Wimmen, International Crisis Group’s project director for Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, told Al Jazeera that while the international legitimisation of al-Sharaa has “been a spectacular success”, his government must now shift its gaze inwards.

The government should primarily focus on rebuilding the economy after the lifting of international sanctions, “which takes time, because capital and investments are cautious, as they should be”, Wimmen said.

It should also “revive political life”, he added.

For years, Syria’s leaders were programmed to “monopolise power”, an approach that will no longer work as they attempt to include all citizens in the political mix.

“Everybody in Syria needs to be convinced that, in the country that’s being built, they’ll have a say in how it’s being built – and a place,” Wimmen said.