Displaced Syrians live in ancient ruins Pictures A displaced Syrian woman cooks dinner as children play near Kafer Rouma, where families are living in ancient ruins after fleeing from the heavy fighting and shelling in the Idlib province countryside of Syria, Sept. Dozens of people have found shelter amid the cluster of lichen-covered ruins outside of Kafer Rouma, which are part of some 700 such ancient settlements that dot northwest Syria. The ancient buildings - usually houses, churches and baths - date from the 1st to the 7th century AD and were abandoned afterward as trade routes changed. Credit: AP