( CNN ) -- With no end in sight for the Syrian civil war , it 's mostly grim pictures that come out from the country . Yet a group of artists in the capital , Damascus , have created a colorful , vibrant piece of work that is seen as a symbol of hope in the war-ravaged nation -- and setting a Guinness world record as well . In January , Moaffak Makhoul and his team of six artists completed a mural made of assorted scrap -- broken mirrors , ceramics pieces , soft-drink cans , pipes , cooking utensils , bicycle wheels and car parts . Guinness World Records announced on their Facebook page in late March that the multicolor artwork , measuring 720 square meters ( 7,750 square feet ) , is the world 's largest mural made of recycled materials . `` In the difficult conditions that the country is going through , '' lead artist Makhoul told Reuters . `` We wanted to give a smile to the people , joy to the children , and show people that the Syrian people love life , love beauty , love creativity . '' They started working on the mural in October 2013 . The artists scoured the materials themselves , but they got some help too . Local housewives donated bits and pieces of things that they would otherwise throw away . Many people came from war zones to give their house keys or other personal objects to the artists . The mural wall runs along a key motorway through the center of Damascus , in the upscale neighborhood of Al Mazzeh . The work was completed two months before the third anniversary of the Syrian conflict . The vibrant outdoor artwork has brought people out onto the street , giving them a chance to enjoy art , bringing more sense of normalcy to their life -- and perhaps even easing some pressures . `` All sorts of people have come to see it , '' Rajaa Wabi , one of the artists , told Agence France-Presse . `` The mural has reunited ( Syrians ) . '' The Syrian war , which began in March 2011 , has killed more than 150,000 people . Millions have been forced to flee their homes , to other parts of the country or abroad . The violence has also taken toll on the country 's infrastructure , economy and urban life . `` The mural gives us hope again , '' said Souheil Amayri , a professor who helped the project , as quoted by AFP . `` Creating something beautiful from rubbish means that we can rebuild despite the destruction . ''
CNN 's largest mural made from recycled materials is 7,750 square feet . Built by a team of Millions artists in upscale neighborhood in Syria , Damascus . Made from broken mirrors , car parts , ceramic and other pieces of scrap .