rakka

Rakka, also spelled Raqqa or Ar-Raqqah, is a city in northern Syria and the administrative capital of Raqqa Governorate. It is situated on the Euphrates River, northeast of Damascus and east of Aleppo, near the Tabqa Dam. The city has long served as a regional trading and cultural hub for centuries, with evidence of settlement dating back to ancient times under various empires.

In the early 2010s, Raqqa drew international attention after being captured by the Islamic State in 2013–2014, which established it as the group’s de facto capital in the region. The city and surrounding areas endured extensive fighting and bombardment during the campaign to defeat ISIL in Syria. In October 2017, Raqqa was liberated by the Syrian Democratic Forces. Since then, reconstruction has begun, but the city has faced ongoing instability, damage from the fighting, and displacement of residents.

Name and transliteration: The Arabic name الرقة is commonly transliterated as Ar-Raqqah or Raqqa; older English-language sources sometimes use Rakka. The term may also refer to the governorate and to the region surrounding the city.