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The Assad family came to power in 1970 when Bashar Al-Assad's father, Hafez, became president and exercised his authority until his death in 2000, leaving behind a country tormented by a cruel and ruthless regime .
Despite being born to the regime, Bashar admitted that his parents, Hafez and his mother, Anisa Makhlouf, wanted their five children to receive an education that echoed their peers.
A new BBC series, A Dangerous Dynasty: House of Assad, revealed that Hafez had been entrusted to a Japanese architect to design the family home on the heights of Damascus.
The residence has an entrance resembling a mosque or a government building with brutalist architecture giving the appearance of permanence and power.
The interior – shown only for a short time – is adorned with sumptuous chandeliers and what appears to be marble floors, walls and accessories.
In the courtyard, a water fountain the size of a pool is reminiscent of the wealth of the Assad dynasty.
Speaking on the documentary, Mr. Assad said, "We did not experience stability until after 1970 when my father became president.
"There was a complete separation between politics and family relationships in our home. My parents were keen to help us live a normal life as much as possible. "
Meanwhile, the family spent summers in a palace on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.
It was built for this purpose with a high security at the heart of the design and is located near the sea so that the Assad family could escape in a boat if it was besieged.
The sequences of the huge complex show a similar block style, but this time with more outdoor space with several gardens.
The streets around the buildings are adorned with lamps, while the buildings themselves have huge picture windows and balconies.
Bashar was the second son and did not expect to become president.
His father decided to entrust the work to one of his sons.
But the alleged heir, his older brother Bassel, who worked as an army officer and equestrian champion, died in a car accident in 1994.
At the time, Bashar had obtained his medical degree and was training in ophthalmology in London.
As a young student, he excelled in science and chose to study medicine with a special interest in the humanitarian sector.
In deciding his career path, he told his father: "I would like to be a doctor – what do you think?"
Hafez told him, "No matter what you do, the most important thing is that you succeed. So, make sure you succeed. "
Assad lives in the presidential palace in Damascus with his wife, Asma al-Assad, and their three children, Hafez, 16, Zein 14 and Karim, 13.
