A battered city and an occupied museum

With Mosul declared the religious capital of the caliphate claimed by Daesh, many places in the city were taken over or attacked for political ends. On 10 June 2014, Daesh occupied the museum to use it as a Diwan al-Zakat, an administration in charge of collecting zakat (legal alms).

High-profile destruction

Deash also used the museum as a media target. On 26 February 2015, Daesh posted a series of videos on social media showing the deliberate destruction of the museum's collections, specifically in the Hatra Hall. The Assyrian Hall was ransacked as well, although this did not appear in the videos. Daesh also torched the museum's library, burning more than two thousand books, and the city’s library met the same fate.

A city at a standstill

Mosul and its inhabitants suffered during this period. Livelihoods declined, education and research came to a halt, and the economy was paralysed. The period also saw a significant demographic decline. The city, known for its diversity, is home to many ethnic minorities — Armenians, Yezidis, Assyrians, Turkmen, Shabaks — all of whom were oppressed by Daesh. In two years of occupation, the population fell from 2.5 million to around 1.5 million because of emigration and the atrocities committed against minorities in particular.

Associated media

Open Media Library