Band plays on amid conflict

Culture brings comfort to capital ravaged by three years of civil war

After years of war forced it into near silence, Damascus' once-thriving Opera House is slowly coming back to life, bringing respite and a little culture to residents of Syria's capital.

Recent weeks have seen a sharp increase in the number of performances at the Opera House, as residents look to revive some of the capital's cultural life despite a civil war that has killed more than 200,000 people.