A way to Revive the Museum of Raqqa in Syria

It is truly heartwarming to learn that the National Museum of Raqqa may revive thanks to a project aiming at digitally reconstructing its content. The “Focus Raqqa Project” is a joint initiative of the Syrian Directorate General of Antiquities and Museum (DGAM) and the Section Archaeology of the Near East, University of Leiden (Netherlands). Together, they hope to collect all available information from many research institutes in Europe in order to create a workable database.

The entire collection of the National Museum of Raqqa, some 6,000 artifacts, is considered lost and unfortunately, no detailed inventory of these pieces of art exists. This makes identification of the objects stolen in the wake of the violence that started in 2011 very difficult (see also: The War in Syria, what will happen to its heritage?). 

Under these circumstances, the antiquities black market is thriving and the only way to stop the stolen artifacts from being sold to unknown buyers is to list them in a concrete workable digital databank where they can be clearly identified by Syrian and international police. For a start, circa 500 of the most precious objects that were stolen from the vaults of the Central Bank in Raqqa in 2013 will be put on this list.

Some pioneering work has already been carried out by the DGAM and the University of Berlin. Additionally, a detailed assessment of the museum’s recent history and collection will be made, while at the same time members of the DGAM will be trained in database management and setting up a website of the Raqqa Museum.

Eventually, this first step may lead to the reconstruction of the museum in Raqqa – let’s hope.

[Picture of the museum from this blog]