Although members of the Christian community said they are happy to see the Assad regime go, many are wary of their new Islamist leaders.

Twinkling lights, stars, bells and revolutionary flags are strung above the ancient streets of the old city of Damascus.

Syrian Christians attended Christmas Eve services on Tuesday for the first time since the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad in early December, in an early test of the new Islamist rulers' pledges to protect the rights of the country's religious minorities.