Raqqa Museum, Syria present state

Ar-Raqqah Museum, Syria is a casualty in the ongoing war against ISIL. Syrian government and US-led coalition aircraft frequently bomb Raqqa, which IS has made into a rebel stronghold. Activists say most of the casualties from the recent raids however have not been ISIL personnel, but civilians. The Syrian Observatory said Tuesday's air raids by government had targeted a popular market near Raqqa's museum as well as the industrial area where two explosions caused most of the casualties. A bomb was dropped on a target near the museum resulting in damage to the building (present state). The museum  founded  in 1981 is sited in a historical building built in 1861 as a Seray Building (government building) and had curated large collections of items from the Ar-Raqqah province before the objects were removed last year.

The US and its Arab allies have been conducting air strikes on IS positions in Raqqa and elsewhere in northern and eastern Syria since September.

'Syria conflict: Raqqa air strikes 'kill dozens'...', BBC website  25 November 2014

 'Damage to Ar-Raqqah Museum as a Result of Bombing' DGAM Syria 25/11/2014

 L. Albertson, 'Ar-Raqqah Museum in Syria continues to Suffer', ARCA blog, November 26, 2014.