Current Status of the Raqqa Museum

The Raqqa Museum and its storerooms in nearby Heraqla are dedicated to the preservation and exhibition of the cultural heritage of Raqqa Governorate. Though small in comparison to the museums in Damascus and Aleppo, the Raqqa Museum contains an important collection of excavated remains that date from prehistory to the modern day. Prior to the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011, the museum was an important local employer and a symbol of civic pride and Raqqawi identity. On November 25, 2014 an explosion, either from a car bomb or an airstrike, detonated near the museum, causing damage to the museum’s southern facade. On November 14, 2015 local reporting group Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently (RBSS) reported that Russian airstrikes had struck the museum, causing undetermined damage.