For 15 years, a vast private library remained hidden behind a false wall inside a shattered house in Homs, Syria. Its owner, Abu Bilal, had concealed the books when the country descended into civil war around 2011-12.
He fled to Kuwait, hoping he would one day return and recover them, according to The Telegraph .
A Syrian man has uncovered his treasured collection of religious and literary books after hiding it behind a false wall before fleeing Homs during the civil war.
Peering through the opening, Abu Bilal expressed relief at finding his collection of books. He then discovered money that had also been hidden behind the wall. The library represents a lifetime of collecting and religious study. Among the items are leather-bound volumes with detailed designs, biographies of the Prophet Mohammed and works of Sunni Islamic scholarship. Abu Bilal also recovered his prayer beads and certificates documenting years of religious study.
“Thank God, everything is fine so far, apart from some dust,” he said. Pulling out the cardboard used to protect the cash, he said, “And the money – we placed money here too. He was surprised at how much he had managed to fit into the hidden space, saying, “Even in the smallest space, we found room for a book, making the most of it as we ran out of room.”
