Raqqa
Syria · Asia
About Raqqa
Raqqa (Arabic: ٱلرَّقَّة, romanized: ar-Raqqah, also al-Raḳḳa), is a city in Syria on the North bank of the Euphrates River, about 160 kilometres (99 miles) east of Aleppo. It is located 40 kilometres (25 miles) east of the Euphrates Dam, Syria's largest dam. The Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine city and bishopric Callinicum (formerly a Latin and now a Maronite Catholic titular see) was the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate between 796 and 809, under the reign of Harun al-Rashid. It was also the capital of the Islamic State from 2014 to 2017. With a population of 531,952 based on the 2021 official census, Raqqa is the sixth largest city in Syria.
During the Syrian civil war, the city was captured in 2013 by the Syrian opposition and then by the Islamic State. ISIS made the city its capital in early 2014. As a result, the city was hit by airstrikes from the Syrian government, Russia, the United States, and several other countries. Most non-Sunni religious structures in the city were destroyed by ISIS, most notably the Shia Uwais al-Qarni Mosque, while others were converted into Sunni mosques. On 17 October 2017, following a lengthy battle that saw massive destruction to the city, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) declared the liberation of Raqqa from the Islamic State to be complete. It is no longer deemed, that the Islamic State is active in the city, and region since 2019. In January 2026, the city was recaptured by the Syrian armed forces from the SDF during the 2026 northeastern Syria offensive.
Raqqa travel guide
Understand
While Raqqa became know to the world as the capital of the self-declared Islamic State between 2013-2017, the city has a long history as a Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine city. Many historic sights and artifacts have however been destroyed or lost during the fight to liberate the city. As of early 2020 the local government is still struggling to bring back basic services, however efforts have been made to save and restore some of the historic buildings and sights within the city.
Getting there
Buses and shared taxis do run from Damascus and Aleppo.
Getting around
Shared taxi is the most common way of getting around with in the city, walking is an option in the centre. Be aware that many buildings are still in rubble and can be hazardous.
See
1 Great Mosque of Raqqa (الجامع الكبير في الرقة). First built in 772 AD, this mosque was extensively damaged by fighting in 2017. Reconstruction efforts started in late 2019. (updated Dec 2019) 2 Ruins of Qasr al-Banat Castle. Ruins of a 12th century palace. (updated May 2021) 3 Raqqa Museum (متحف الرقة). Damaged during the civil war, the museum has now been renovated and is once again open to the public. However, of the more than 5,000 artifacts that was housed before the war, only about 1,300 remains. (updated Dec 2019) 4 Raqqa City Walls. Assyrian fortifications, survived the 2017 siege of the city except for a 25-m-long stretch that was demolished to allow Syrian Democratic Forces troops to enter the Old City. (updated Dec 2019) 5 Baghdad Gate (باب بغداد). One of the surviving historic city gates. (updated Dec 2019) 6 Tuttul (Tell Bi'a). Archaeological site of the Broze Age town of Tuttul. (updated May 2021) 7 Ruins of Heraqla victory monument (8 km west of the city). Ruins of an unfinished victory monument from the time of Harun al-Rashid said to commemorate the conquest of the Byzantine city of Herakleia in 806. The monument is preserved in a substructure of a square building in the centre of a circular walled enclosure, 500 metres (1,600 ft) in diameter. However, the upper part was never finished because of the sudden death of Harun al-Rashid in 809 AD. (updated May 2021)
Eat
Al Baik Restaurant, ☏ +963 22 232 300. (updated Aug 2018) Shahba Restaurant, ☏ +963 22 238 300. (updated Aug 2018) Al Sanabel Chicken. (updated Aug 2018)
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.