This city, located on the Euphrates, is about 190 Km west of Al Raqqa. It has a very rich history as it was first founded and established by Alexander the Great in the 4th Century BC. It later had quite an important role under the Abbassid dynasty. This is where Haroun Al Rashid, the famous caliph who sent exclusive gifts to Charlemagne, used to spend his summers.

It was rebuilt in 772 AD by Caliph Mansour under the original plan of the Abbassid capital, Baghdad. Some of the Abbassid ruins are still preserved, although not much remains. The Raqqa museum houses a lot of artifacts found in palaces that surrounded the city of Al Raqqa.