The battle for Mosul stalls: 'we are fighting the devil himself' - for The Guardian

December 06, 2016 in tearsheets

Work covering the Mosul offensive for The Guardian as the fight between Iraqi forces and ISIS continues. Read the article here.

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A man talks on a cellphone as he climbs over rubble covering a street in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq. Fully rebuilding the city could take years and some estimates put the cost at over a billion dollars. Vital infrastructure like hospitals, power plants, and water treatment centers have been restored in many areas of Mosul. However, the partially rebuilt bridges connecting east and west are drastically over capacity. While many neighborhoods have steadily recovered over the past two years, the historic center, where ISIS had its final stand in the summer of 2017, remains in ruins. Buildings dating back hundreds of years have been reduced to rubble. The famous alabaster marble which marked doorways, arches, and window frames lie in fragments along pathways and among piles of debris. With few resources currently devoted to the historic center, it remains to be seen when and how it will be rebuilt, and what responsibility the US will take given its role destroying it. #Mosul #Iraq #Iraqi #history #city #rebuilding #ISIS #AfterISIS #middleeast #everydaymiddleeast

The remains of the Great Mosque of al-Nuri in Mosul, Iraq. Constructed in the 12th century, the mosque was famous for its 148-foot-tall minaret, which had a slight tilt and upward bend to the east, earning it the nickname "the humpback” (al-Hadba). The minaret survived over 850 years and stood as a symbol for the city. ISIS militants detonated explosives inside the mosque during their battle against Iraqi forces in the Old City of Mosul in June of 2017. While the structure remains destroyed, a foundation stone was laid in December of 2018 as a ceremonial start to it’s reconstruction. Among scattered graffiti now on the remaining portion of the minaret and the top dome of the mosque are the small spray-painted words “Fuck Isis”. #Iraq #architecture #islamicarchitecture #mosul #history #destruction #ISIS #iraqi #afrerisis #stone #muslim #mosque #historic

The remains of the Great Mosque of al-Nuri’s minaret in Mosul, Iraq. Constructed in the 12th century, the 148-foot-tall minaret had a slight tilt and upward bend to the east, earning it the nickname "the humpback” (al-Hadba). The minaret survived over 850 years and stood as a symbol for the city. ISIS militants detonated explosives inside the mosque during their battle against Iraqi forces in the Old City of Mosul in June of 2017. While the structure remains destroyed, a foundation stone was laid in December of 2018 as a ceremonial start to it’s reconstruction. Among scattered graffiti now on the remaining portion of the minaret are the small spray-painted words “Fuck isis”. #Iraq #architecture #islamicarchitecture #mosul #history #destruction #ISIS #iraqi #afrerisis #stone #muslim #mosque #historic

Young boys standing on rubble at a partially destroyed school in the Hayy An Nabijarjis neighborhood of West Mosul, Iraq. #Iraq #children #education #city #cities #Iraqis #Mosul #afterisis #destruction #kids

Fully rebuilding the city of Mosul could take years and some estimates put the cost at over a billion dollars. Vital infrastructure like hospitals, power plants, and water treatment centers have been restored in many areas of the city. However, the partially rebuilt bridges connecting east and west are drastically over capacity. While many neighborhoods have steadily recovered over the past two years, the historic center, where ISIS had its final stand in the summer of 2017, remains in ruins. Buildings dating back hundreds of years have been reduced to rubble. The famous alabaster marble which marked doorways, arches, and window frames lie in fragments along pathways and among piles of debris (shown here in pieces mixed in the rubble and along the right hand side of the frame). With few resources currently devoted to the historic center, it remains to be seen when and how it will be rebuilt, and what responsibility the US will take given its role destroying it. #Mosul #Iraq #Iraqi #history #city #rebuilding #ISIS #AfterISIS #middleeast #islamicarchitecture #architecture #everydaymiddleeast

Men clearing rubble and while trying to save pieces of alabaster marble (stone being removed from the shovel) in the Old City of Mosul. Fully rebuilding the city could take years and some estimates put the cost at over a billion dollars. Vital infrastructure like hospitals, power plants, and water treatment centers have been restored in many areas of Mosul. However, the partially rebuilt bridges connecting east and west are drastically over capacity. While many neighborhoods have steadily recovered over the past two years, the historic center, where ISIS had its final stand in the summer of 2017, remains in ruins. Buildings dating back hundreds of years have been reduced to rubble. The famous alabaster marble which marked doorways, arches, and window frames lie in fragments along pathways and among piles of debris. With few resources currently devoted to the historic center, it remains to be seen when and how it will be rebuilt, and what responsibility the US will take given its role destroying it. #Mosul #Iraq #Iraqi #history #city #rebuilding #ISIS #AfterISIS #middleeast #islamicarchitecture #architecture #everydaymiddleeast

Men clearing rubble and while trying to save pieces of alabaster marble (right bottom frame) in the Old City of Mosul. Fully rebuilding the city could take years and some estimates put the cost at over a billion dollars. Vital infrastructure like hospitals, power plants, and water treatment centers have been restored in many areas of Mosul. However, the partially rebuilt bridges connecting east and west are drastically over capacity. While many neighborhoods have steadily recovered over the past two years, the historic center, where ISIS had its final stand in the summer of 2017, remains in ruins. Buildings dating back hundreds of years have been reduced to rubble. The famous alabaster marble which marked doorways, arches, and window frames lie in fragments along pathways and among piles of debris. With few resources currently devoted to the historic center, it remains to be seen when and how it will be rebuilt, and what responsibility the US will take given its role destroying it. #Mosul #Iraq #Iraqi #history #city #rebuilding #ISIS #AfterISIS

Finally made it out to Tel Afar and was met by a host of screaming school kids gathered for a local event. A former Turkish military outpost, Tel Afar is home to a large Turkmen population. Upon learning that my name was Cengiz, some young boys started cheering and then chanted a song with my name in it (which I’m fairly sure they made up on the spot). Turkmen are the third largest ethnic group in Iraq and faced various forms of repression, including massacres and Arabization, under Saddam. Starting with the American invasion, Tel Afar saw a rise of insurgency and suffered widespread sectarian violence. ISIS took control of the city during their 2014 rampage and held it until shortly after the fall of Mosul in 2017. Although much of the city remains damaged from the fighting to retake the city, many of its inhabitants have returned. #Iraq #Iraqis #Turkmen #Turk #TelAfar #afterISIS #cities #middleeast #everydaymiddleeast #children #school #kids #childrenofiraq

Hewlêr zor jwanna. Really nice to be back in Kurdistan for a bit. #Erbil #Kurds #Kurdistan #Iraq #bashor

An alleyway framed with alabaster in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq. #Iraq #architecture #mosul #Iraqi #city #cities #afterisis

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