First book exhibition in Raqqa since the defeat of ISIS

29 publishing houses have participated in the exhibition, which includes roughly 20 thousand books and 5000 titles that have been written in different languages of the people of North-East Syria.

The culture body of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria organized on Saturday 18 June a book exhibition in Raqqa city as the first of its kind after the city was liberated from ISIS by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

29 publishing houses have participated in the exhibition, which includes roughly 20 thousand books and 5000 titles that have been written in different languages of the people of North-East Syria.

The three-day exhibition displayed cultural, literary, science, historical, political, economic and social books.

Raqqa city was rich in its culture, literature and a large number of writers. However, the city was taken over by ISIS for almost 4 years, which spread the policy of intimidation and crackdown.

Following its control over the city in 2014, the terrorist organization ISIS imposed its brutal interpretation of Islam , where it burned all libraries and cultural centers, and banned writers and intellectuals from opening literature centers in the city and organizing any cultural activities .

After Raqqa was liberated from ISIS by the Syrian Democratic Forces, security and stability was restored in the city, as well as culture and literature. Cultural activities have been organized, as well as writers and intellectuals of Raqqa started to re-open libraries and cultural centers.