Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, has great historical and cultural significance. After Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi used Mosul’s Al Nuri Mosque to declare the caliphate in 2014, the city was captured and occupied by the Islamic State. After a fierce battle, the city was liberated in 2017, however, large parts of the city, including most of the old city, were completely destroyed. Currently, the city is undergoing reconstruction. This book focuses on that reconstruction by zooming in on the cultural heritage sites, the residential areas and the camps outside of the city where former residents now live, awaiting their return to the city. This book shines a light on how certain projects are prioritized, how other projects are neglected or postponed, and the consequences for the city’s residents.

Courtney Bonneau is a Dutch photographer who has been documenting the reconstruction of Mosul since 2019.

Stella Martany is an Iraqi freelance fixer and journalist.

Kiki Santing is a researcher at the University of Groningen.

This publication appears in the series: Visions of the Middle East and North Africa

Visions of the Middle East and North Africa, is a collaborative initiative between the Middle Eastern Studies programme at the University of Groningen and University of Groningen Press. Volumes published in the series highlight the diversity of the Middle East and North Africa by exploring culture and society through images and text. Individual volume themes are connected to departmental research, the series is inherently interdisciplinary incorporating fields such as sociology, history, cultural studies, and political science.

UNIVERSITY OF GRONINGEN PRESS | UGP

The physical books of the University of Groningen Press are distributed in collaboration with Uitgeverij kleine Uil.

The Open Access editions are available University of Groningen Press

ISBN ePDF: 9789403430423