Syria: Shelter in ancient ruins Pictures Across northern Syria, rebels, soldiers and civilians are making use of the country's wealth of ancient and medieval antiquities to protect themselves from Syria's 2-year-old war. They are built of thick stone that has already withstood centuries and are often located in strategic locations overlooking towns and roads. Read: Syrians find shelter in ancient ruins In this photo, a defected Syrian policeman, Adnan al-Hamod, 33, lights a kerosene lamp inside an underground shelter he made using a jackhammer to protect his family from Syrian government forces shelling and airstrikes. All photos taken in Idlib province, Syria, Feb. 28, 2013 Credit: Hussein Malla/AP