• A boy walks near the remains of Mosul's Al-Hadba minaret in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq. Reuters
    A boy walks near the remains of Mosul's Al-Hadba minaret in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq. Reuters
  • Scraps are seen near the destroyed Grand Mosque of al-Nuri in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq. Reuters
    Scraps are seen near the destroyed Grand Mosque of al-Nuri in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq. Reuters
  • A man drives his motorbike next to damaged buildings in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq. Reuters
    A man drives his motorbike next to damaged buildings in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq. Reuters
  • The destroyed Grand Mosque of al-Nuri is seen in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq. Reuters
    The destroyed Grand Mosque of al-Nuri is seen in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq. Reuters
  • An amusement park with a Mosque in the background is seen in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq. Reuters
    An amusement park with a Mosque in the background is seen in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq. Reuters
  • Destroyed buildings are seen in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq. Reuters
    Destroyed buildings are seen in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq. Reuters
  • A destroyed Mosque is seen in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq. Reuters
    A destroyed Mosque is seen in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq. Reuters
  • Destroyed buildings are seen in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq. Reuters
    Destroyed buildings are seen in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq. Reuters
  • A construction site for shops and buildings is seen in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq. Reuters
    A construction site for shops and buildings is seen in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq. Reuters
  • A destroyed house is seen in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq. Reuters
    A destroyed house is seen in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq. Reuters

Mosul's silent ruins - in pictures

The Iraqi city was devastated under three years of Isis control and reconstruction is proving a slow process

The National

February 04, 2019

  • English
  • Arabic

When Mosul was overrun by ISIS fighters in 2014, the group used it as its seat of power for three years.

The city, situated on the west bank of the Tigris, was left in ruins during the occupation, a situation caused both by the group's own destruction of buildings and artefacts, and the ensuing battles by government forces to wrestle the area back.

Nearly two million Iraqis are still displaced by the fight against ISIS, according to a survey by REACH, a non-governmental organisation.

Many say they are not ready to go home because of the destruction and lack of services.

Iraq