Ar-Raqqah, Syria, east part old town
Raqqa, Syria — Two-lane roads through the vast Syrian desert connect Raqqa to government-held Aleppo, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) base in Ain Issa, and the cities of Qamishlo and Hasakah in the mostly Kurdish northeast. The city best known as the capital of the Islamic State (ISIS)’s caliphate is more than that today.
An “I love Raqqa” sign sits in the middle of Naim Square. This type of sign exists in other regional cities like Amman and Beirut, and now it is in Raqqa in the square where ISIS once carried out executions. Restaurants are full in this area, and children swim in the fountain in the square’s middle. The clear waters of the Euphrates are a short drive away, where more people swim among the minnows…
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