The many monuments of the Assad regime that once dotted the Syrian city of Aleppo have been toppled, torn or burned.

The large statue on which President Bashar al-Assad’s late brother was featured riding a horse has been mostly destroyed. All that remains is the rearing animal, with boys and young men clamoring to get on top of it as they flash victory signs.

Across Aleppo on Wednesday there was celebration as exiled residents returned home more than a week after Syrian rebels captured the city in a lightning-fast offensive that ended with Mr. al-Assad’s ouster.

They came back to their city from across the border with Turkey or from elsewhere — somewhere safer — if not permanently, then at least to assess what remained and where they might live. They set out to visit old neighborhoods and homes, some of which no longer existed.

Amar Sabir, 23, fled the city nearly 10 years ago with her family and ended up in Turkey. There, she got married and had two children, but never gave up hope of returning to Aleppo. On Sunday, she did.