Mosul

 Mosul 

I went for a walking tour of Mosul, led by a local guide, Moomen, pronouned Moomin, and I had to check that it was a derivative of Mohammad and that he wasn't named after the children's Moomin characters created by Tove Jansson.

The market, rebuilt after the original market was destroyed during the fighting between the Iraqi army and ISIS terrorists, when Mosul was liberated from terrorist control in 2017. 

The entrance to the Spice Market.

One of the stalls in the market...

...a view along th length of the market...

...another stall...

And after the Spice Market, iy seamlessly changed into the Fish Market, with fresh fish...

...and even fresher, still live fish in tanks or bathtubs...

...ans some fish nearly ready to eat, being barbequed on open fires.

At the end of the fish market was the start of the old town. It was the last area to e liberated by the Iraqi army and where the ISIS fighters retreated to make their last stand. They refused to leave the area and it became hotly contested ground resulting in extensive damage. 

Some of the rubble has been cleared to allow access, bodies removed and the area swept for explosives. Every building has a painted sign on the wall that it is 'safe' in Arabic and English, that is safe from explosivs butdue to the crumbling structures, it is not 'safe' from falling masonary. 

The area is extensive with dozens of damaged buildings...

...plus some art...

...damaged mosques...

...and holes in buildings.

Some nearby areas have received attention...such as this covered walkway with parasols suspended from the ceiling.

We moved on to see a caravanserai overlooking the Tigris. There was a lot of history but little to see.

Another view of the caravanserai to the right and in the back ground, one of the five bridges across the Tigris, all rebuilt after the liberation of the city as ISIS had destroyed all five crossings to delay the Iraqi army advance on the city.

The Heritage Museum.

After the museum, we walked towards the Bashtabya Castle, perched on a bluff high above the Tigris in a commanding position. We could see it but it wasn't open so we weren't able to get any closer. It had been shut to visitors as it was considered structurally unsound, and thus dangerous for visitors. That seemed incongruous since we had been free to walk around the war torn damaged properties of the old town. 

After lunch, we visited another the Heirtage Museum in the Hammam Al Mangusha Quarter. There was a picture of the damage immeadiately after liberation.

And I took a picture from a similar position of the same building with the alley way off to the left.

                                        

The Heritage Museum.

Opposite, the Mosul Art Museum. 

Inside the Heritage Museum. 

Outside on the same road was a rebuilt mosque, destroyed during the fighting. The original minaret had a distinct lean, so when it was rebuilt, the new replica mosque was built with a lean.

Just down the road was the Clock Tower Church. The city had a significant Christian population and there are several churches scattered throughout the city. The churches are there but since the ISIS occupation, many of the Christian community have moved out and the percentage of the population that are Christian is now insignificant in absolute number terms with less than 50 families in what is Iraq's second largest city.