Raqqa to inaugurate museum documenting ISIS violations
RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) is preparing to inaugurate a museum in the city of Raqqa, northern Syria, dedicated to documenting the violations committed by the Islamic State (ISIS) during its control of the city, an official said on Monday.
Sarfaraz Sharif, co-chair of the Culture and Antiquities Board of the AANES, added that the museum will be organized into three sections, each illustrating different aspects of the atrocities committed by the extremist group.
“We have prepared over 100 authentic documents related to ISIS,” Sharif told North Press, “including records of sex slave pricing, car bomb operations, detonation protocols, ‘repentance’ courses for teachers, and the renaming of schools.”
The first section of the museum will display violations through real images sourced from well-known media outlets, showcasing ISIS crimes such as the destruction of antiquities, burning of books, and child recruitment.
The second section will feature a miniature model of al-Naim Square, the site of many public executions. It will include a scaled replica of the infamous iron roundabout, complete with small models of severed heads to depict the brutal public punishments carried out during ISIS control.
The third section will focus on artistic sculptures representing key human rights violations. One sculpture highlights the oppression of women under ISIS rule, using authentic imagery to show how women were excluded from public life. Another depicts a beheading scene, while a third memorializes victims of enforced disappearance.
Sharif noted that the sculptures were commissioned by the Culture Board and crafted by a local sculptor from Raqqa.
Work on the museum began in early 2024 and has been carried out in three stages, construction of the facility, interior design, and acquisition of documents and exhibition content.