Skip to main content

Can Museum of Raqqa's glory be restored?

The Raqqa Civil Council and a local organization have begun restoring the Museum of Raqqa, but it is unclear whether it can reassemble the treasures removed from it during the occupations by Islamic State and the Free Syrian Army.
RTR4FJUO.jpg
Read in 

Once home to a major collection of archaeological artifacts from Assyrian times to the Islamic era, the Museum of Raqqa is barely a pale shadow of its former self. All that remains in the 19th-century building in the war-torn city on the northeastern bank of the Euphrates are some pottery, a couple of destroyed mosaics and two ancient tombs whose contents have been emptied by looters.

While finding the looted antiquities will be a long, ongoing project, efforts are currently afoot to renovate the damaged building. The Roya (Vision) Organization, a civil society group, worked on the building's rehabilitation during the second half of 2018 with assistance from Raqqa's Civil Council.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.