This is Aleppo in 2016. After a bitter five-year battle for the key city, the government finally gained control -- a turning point in the 7-year conflict. Aleppo was reduced to rubble. But as time continues to pass, life is emerging from those ruins. And here, on the once battle line between eastern and western Aleppo, lies a surprising new paradise. Shahba swimming pool reopened even before major reconstruction work began. Swimming used to be one of the most popular summer activities, since the day is long and temperatures are high.

ABO MUHAMMAD MANAGER, AL SHAHBA SWIMMING POOL "The swimming pool used to be way better. We used to have about 60 people at any time in the pool. And on holidays, there was even no room to swim because of overcrowding -- with 200 to 300 swimmers in the pool. The pool was closed for six years, since the beginning of the crisis when the rebels entered this neighborhood. At that time, we closed and left, and when we came back, we found everything destroyed, so we started repairs and started to work regularly."

Abo said he spent about one million Syrian pounds to renovate the pool. It's only about 2,500 dollars, but it's a big sum of money for them. The scars of war still cannot be completely erased. But the swimmers do not care.

KHALED SWIMMER "I swam twice in this summer. We are having a good time."

SAMER SWIMMER "We come here to have fun with our friends and relatives. There is no power, and the generator starts after 6."

No lockers, no swimming suits – just young kids putting their clothes aside and jumping into the pool. For them, this is a care-free afternoon. A few blocks away, the tranquility is replaced by the noise of bulldozers. The engineering team is reconstructing a major road linking eastern and western Aleppo. According to one worker, they can revamp 3,500 to 4,000 square meters of road every day.