Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family visited a convent north of Damascus on Christmas day.<br /><br /> It is his first public appearance since his regime forces won back the northern city Aleppo from rebels.<br /><br /> These pictures from Syrian state television show Assad meeting nuns and orphans dressed in Santa costumes.<br /><br /> The Syrian Army took the last rebel-held enclaves last week, as rebels and civilians were evacuated.<br /><br /> This ceremony is the first peaceful Christmas mass in Aleppo’s St Eilas Church since rebels took control of East Aleppo four years ago. <br /><br /> Aleppo’s Christians were joined by Orthodox Patriarch John Yazigi of Damascus’ Church of Antioch, who led the Mass. <br /><br /> Years of fighting and bombardment have left the city in ruins, a shell of the bustling city it used to be<br /><br /> On Friday, the leaders of Russia, Iran, Turkey and Syria agreed on Kazakh capital Astana as the venue for new peace talks<br />
