Photos: In Raqqa, joy fills the air in first wedding since ISIS ouster

At a house in Syria's Raqqa, women and men joined in celebration at a wedding that would have been unimaginable just months ago, when the Islamic State ruled the city. Jazra was one of the first districts of Raqqa to be captured by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters that broke into the city in June.

Updated on: Oct 30, 2017 11:10 AM IST

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The groom Ahmed (Center-R) and bride Heba (Center-L) seated during their wedding. Residents told AFP that Ahmad and Heba’s wedding, held on Friday in Raqqa’s western neighbourhood of Jazra, was the first in the city since US-backed forces reclaimed it from ISIS. (Delil souleiman / AFP)

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Syrian women escorted bride Heba as they participated in celebrations during her wedding. Heba entered the venue in a delicate veil edged with white flowers rested on her tightly curled hair, and a gold headpiece dangled over her eyebrows. Her hands were painted with henna as she fiddled nervously with a bouquet of artificial flowers. (Delil souleiman / AFP)

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Tea was served to the groom and the guests during the wedding celebrations. Eighteen-year-old Ahmad (C) was dressed in a traditional brown robe for his wedding. (Delil souleiman / AFP)

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The ISIS group had banned music and dance, imposed strict dress codes, prevented women from wearing make-up and forcefully prohibited the mixing of men and women. But in Jazra on Friday, music mingled with the sound of generators providing the only electricity in the ravaged district, which like much of the city was heavily damaged during more than four months of fighting. (Delil souleiman / AFP)

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Guests showered the bride Heba (R) in cash during her wedding ceremony. ‘Before IS, there was dabke, songs and the traditional rituals of the region at our marriages, but IS banned everything, there was not a single celebration,’ a guest told AFP. (Delil souleiman / AFP)

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The dancers hopped and swayed to-and-fro as children ran around. Elders looked on approvingly from seats and benches on the edge of the makeshift dance floor. (Delil souleiman / AFP)

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Syrian women and children danced as they participated in celebrations. Female guests, forced under jihadist rule to wear all-enveloping black robes including gloves and face veils, took obvious delight in sporting patterned robes and bright red lipstick. Some covered their hair with matching patterned scarves, while others, including the bride, had their locks coiffed for the occasion. (Delil souleiman / AFP)

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Seated on plastic chairs, the young bride and groom looked slightly nervous. Around the couple, guests took photos with mobile phones. Almost everything in the scene would have been impossible during the three years of brutal IS rule. (Delil souleiman / AFP)