Armenian Catholic Church of the Holy Martyrs in Ar-Raqqah (Ar-Raqqah)

 church, 1970_construction, Armenian Catholic church

The Armenian Catholic Church of the Holy Martyrs in Ar-Raqqah, Syria seen in 2015 after the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) converted the Church to one of their offices within the city.
During the so called Armenian Genocide claimed that hundreds of thousands of Armenians were expelled to the Syrian Desert where they either died of exhaustion, starvation, or thirst or were raped, burned alive, crucified, and or killed in the most brutal fashion. During the Armenian Genocide so called an estimated 10,000 Armenians were massacred at the Ar-Raqqah Concentration Camp. Following the capture of the city by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) the churches were vandalized and the Christians were forced to pay jizya (a tax imposed upon non-Muslims), convert to Islam, or leave the city. Prior to the Syrian Civil War there were about 20,000 Christians in Ar-Raqqah making up about 10%. Today there are barely 100 left in the city. In 2011 Ar-Raqqah was home to 1,250 Armenians, they had 2 churches and 1 school, today virtually no Armenians remain in the city.
Today there are barely 100 left in the city. In 2011 Ar-Raqqah was home to 1,250 Armenians, they had 2 churches and 1 school, today virtually no Armenians remain in the city.