Syriac Catholic Church of Mar Tuma reopens for mass – in pictures
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Iraqi Christians returned to a Catholic church in Mosul for the first time since it reopened after ISIS destroyed it. All photos: AFP -
Mar Tuma Syriac Catholic Church, which dates back to the 19th century, had been used by ISIS as a prison or a court after the militants swept to power in Mosul in 2014. -
The church was heavily damaged during battles to liberate the city from ISIS and was also ransacked and vandalised by the terrorists. -
Thousands of Christians fled the northern Nineveh province where the church is situated, some to Iraq's nearby Kurdistan region. Many have never returned. -
The Iraqi army eventually drove out the extremists after months of gruelling street fighting that devastated much of Mosul. -
The service in the packed church began with worshippers chanting hymns as an organist played. -
Priests lead mass at the Syriac Catholic Church of Mar Tuma. As part of the restoration, its marble floor has been dismantled and completely redone. -
Despite the reopening, in some outbuildings and rooms on the first floor windows were broken and ISIS graffiti can still be seen. The repair work is continuing. -
Iraq's Christian population has diminished to fewer than 400,000 from about 1.5 million before the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein. -
Several monasteries and churches are being renovated but reconstruction work is slow.
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