Istanbul has become a beacon of hope for Syrians taking shelter in Turkey after escaping from the ongoing civil war and chaos in their homeland. On the invitation of "Art Unlimited," a group of Syrian artists have recently come to Istanbul. With the intention of contributing to peace, the artists are worried that their efforts will not be fully appreciated in Turkey. They are looking for a job, while continuing to design art works. According to Turkish daily newspaper Radikal's reporter Pınar Öğrenci, there are sculptors and art directors in the group. Some of them have held solo exhibitions in different countries. However, their common point is that Istanbul and Damascus bear cultural and artistic similarities.One of them, Kurdish-descendant Syrian artist Mohammad Zaza, who was born in Riyadh in 1987, grew up in Saudi Arabia and moved to Syria at the age of 18. Following the footsteps of his painter father, Zaza held eight solo exhibitions in Aleppo (2008-2011), Damascus (2009) and Riyadh (2012-2013). Arriving in Istanbul five months ago, he is currently residing in an apartment in Taksim's Sıraselviler quarter. He said he should adapt himself his experiences, otherwise his life will turn into a prison. Following his arrival, he started to engage in animation works. Zaza tried his luck in different Arab countries, but he ultimately decided to go to Istanbul.Toufic Hamidi, born in Aleppo in 1988, came to Turkey in March, 2014. Hamidi's family is still living in Aleppo. Toufic was studying lithography when the war broke up. Following his graduation, he moved to Istanbul. The young artist had two solo exhibitions in Riyadh (2014) and Al Khobar (2013).Maher Abdo, born in Idlib in 1984, studied sculpture and later drama. He made designs for cinemas and TV stages for a period of time. Abdo decided to return to the field of painting and sculpture afterward. After the outbreak of war, he went to Egypt and conducted a film project before he escaped to Istanbul. Abdo's family now lives in Hatay. Öğrenci visited him at his workshop in a basement floor in Kurtuluş. He is happy to spend time in his own work place.Amjad Wardeh, born in Damascus in 1984, worked at the animation department of the Syrian state TV channel from 2002 to 2007. Wardeh was also the artistic director of Baladna and Sabaya magazines. Between 2009 and 2011, he worked as a research assistant at Aleppo University. His family moved to Gaziantep and he found a flat in Bomonti. Naser Nassan Agha, born in Idlib in 1961, lives in Beylikdüzü. Agha opened various solo exhibitions in Aleppo, Damascus, Paris, Madrid, Stockholm and Amman. Married with two children, Agha now dreams of living in one of Istanbul's more central parts.