7 Years of Syrian unrest — by the numbers, and photos that mark the destruction

The images emerging from Syria over the past several years zeroed in on deaths of civilians, and the destruction of once bustling cities.

The country marked seven years of war this week, and the latest news out of the region shows little sign of the violence curbing.

READ MORE: Syrians trapped in Ghouta remind world of their plight

Syria’s conflict has killed about 511,000 people in these seven years, and roughly five million people have fled from the country. The unrest has also disturbed the regional balance of power, and dragged in foreign nations whose rivalry has upset existing alliances.

WATCH: More coverage of the Syrian conflict

In Syria, a father says last goodbye to dead child

00:35

In Syria, a father says last goodbye to dead child

01:45

Thousands of Syrians flee government advances in eastern Ghouta

02:29

Fragile limited ceasefire about to begin in Syria

01:29

Fighting continues in Syria’s eastern Ghouta despite ceasefire

01:25

Amateur video shows devastation in eastern Ghouta, Syria after airstrikes

01:59

UN pleads for Syrian truce to avert ‘massacre’ as strikes hit rebel area of Damascus for 5th day

According to the United Nations, an estimated 2.9 million Syrians live in UN-declared hard-to-reach and besieged locations.

But while recent memory of Syria may revolve around news of violence, this wasn’t always the case. The country once thrived culturally and economically.

READ MORE: Starving Syrian newborn offers harrowing look at life in besieged region

Here’s a look at Syria’s past, and how violence has affected it.

A general view of the city of Aleppo before the war.

Aleppo in 1997.

This is Aleppo in 2018.

Umayyad Mosque, a UNESCO world heritage site

Also known as the Great Mosque of Aleppo, this site was built in the 8th century.

This is the mosque pictured on Sept. 27, 2014.

While structures have been destroyed, some of the most harrowing photos out of Syria have been of those trapped in violence-stricken regions.

Here are some recent photos from Ghouta, where airstrikes have killed scores of civilians and forced thousands to flee.

The United Nations believes up to 400,000 people have been trapped in the Ghouta satellite towns and farmland, short of food and medicine.