"We are all in the gutter but some of us are still looking at the stars." Such can be the most precise depiction of some astronomy lovers in Syria, who worked together to build a telescope despite a lack of technology and crucial parts and components amid tight Western sanctions. Muhammed Alassiry, 46, who is now chairman of the Syrian Astronomical Association, has had a passion for astronomy since he was young. He planned to build a large-scale telescope for the country in 2009, but the plan was halted by war and conflict since the 2011 crisis. In 2019, he and his 20-member squad started to explore their options for building the telescope on their own as Syria's economy, technology and education system were battered by Western sanctions. After a year of arduous effort, the telescope finally came into being.