Abandoned toys, tiny dust-covered shoes and bombed out windows

The crumbling house in the war-torn Syrian city gives an insight into the devastation that ultimately led his mother and father, Abdullah and Rehan, to board a small boat in the dead of night with their two young sons in an attempt to reach western Europe.

Today, Abdullah returned to the family home, confronting the memories of his two young sons and wife, just days after burying them on the outskirts of their old home town. 

Mohamad Kurdi, Abdullah's brother, has spoken about the family's terrifying life in Syria, his own journey to a refugee camp in Germany and his heartbreak on hearing the news his relatives had died.

The picture of Aylan's tiny body washed up on a beach in Turkey sent shock waves around the world this week. Like many other Syrian refugees, his family paid people-smugglers thousands of pounds for four seats in a dingy headed for the Greek island of Kos.

But their boat capsized shortly after setting off and Aylan, three, his brother, five, and his mother, 35, drowned. Just their grief-stricken father, 40, survived the tragedy and he has since returned to Kobane where he laid his family to rest.

Aylan's tragic last words before drowning were 'daddy, please don't die', as Abdullah tried desperately to save his loved ones.

Exclusive photographs of their former home in Syria reveal the reality of the family's life in a war zone and why they decided to risk their lives in search of a better life.

Speaking to MailOnline from a refugee camp in Germany, Mohamad, 47, said the family first fled to Kobane from Damascus in 2012 after Abdullah was detained and tortured by the government.

When he was finally freed, he moved his family to the town near the Turkish border, where they lived in two rooms in the house owned by his wife's parents for about 18 months. But soon they were given another reason to uproot once again.

'People were terrified when ISIS came in. People started leaving - it was just terrible,' Mohamad said. 'Almost all of the residents of Kobane fled to Turkey because nobody could live there.'

Abdullah, a hairdresser, began working in Turkey while his family remained in the border city of Kobane, but he returned to help them flee in 2013. The house was destroyed during shelling, Mohamad said, and the family relocated to Turkey.

We worked in construction sites, it was very, very difficult for us but we had to because we had large families,' he added. 'Turkey opened their doors but we do not have any rights there. 

'We cannot enjoy life there or our human rights. Life was difficult in Turkey.'

Four months ago, Mohamad embarked on the treacherous journey, leaving his pregnant wife and children behind. He reached Kos in a small rubber dinghy and was able to make his way to Germany, mainly on foot. 

Abdullah and his family soon followed, but only made it as far as the Turkish coast before their lives and journey to western Europe were cut short. 

(dailymail.co.uk)