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Kersten Knipp , Deutsche Welle

Iraq: Rebuilding Mosul for the Future

The Iraqi city of Mosul was captured by the "Islamic State" group in 2014. Much of its cultural heritage was destroyed during the occupation. Three year's after Mosul's liberation, the city is now being rebuilt.

IMAGE: Locals hope rebuilding the city's cultural artifacts will foster a new solidarity (c. Professor Richard R. Zettler)


December 27, 2020


In the summer of 2014, the "Islamic State" group (IS) conquered Iraq's second largest city of Mosul. It was here in June that same year that the organization's then-leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghadi, proclaimed an Islamic Caliphate.


In late 2016, Iraqi, US, Kurdish Peshmerga and other ground forces — backed by an international anti-IS air force — launched a campaign to retake the northern Iraqi city. After nine months of fierce fighting, the coalition succeeded in driving IS forces from the heavily fortified city. In July 2017, Iraq's then-prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, was able to declare Mosul's liberation.


The people of Mosul suffered greatly during the brutal IS reign. Hundreds of young men who refused to join the militant group were executed. Locals were used as human shields during the campaign to retake the city. According to the UN, over 5,000 families were abducted for this purpose.


IS sought to wipe out Mosul's cultural heritage


During the occupation, IS destroyed shrines, church statues and tombs, and ripped crosses from Church roofs. The militants also tore down bell towers and altar domes.


IS set churches ablaze, and blew up Shiite mosques and Sufi shrines. The extremists even set out to erase vestiges of Mosul's ancient past. What little that was spared was later destroyed in the battle to retake the city.

IMAGE: The Grand al-Nuri Mosque was one of the many historic sites destroyed in Mosul