Bashar al-Assad’s car collection has gained attention on social media as rebels who entered the Syrian capital, Damascus, opened the gates of his palace.

Islamist rebel forces found a huge fleet of expensive cars including Mercedes, Porches, Audi and Ferrari, Aston Martin and Rolls-Royce.

Hundreds of cars from convertibles to sports cars can be seen in a video filmed in one of his garages. The collection attracted interest because of the stark contrast between his opulent lifestyle and the dire economic conditions facing many Syrians.