Visiting Mosul Iraq
My previous installment discussed the logistics of getting to Mosul, Iraq. My father and I visited Mosul as a day trip from the Iraqi Kurdistan capital of Erbil as part of a week-long trip to Iraq. Here I’ll discuss a bit about why you might want to consider going and sites to see in the city and surrounding areas.
Bazaar
Our first stop was the market of Mosul. Honestly, walking through this place, you would never think that this city was in the midst of war just a few years ago. I enjoyed seeing people go about their daily tasks and taking in sites and smells similar to many other Middle Eastern bazaars. I guess what surprised me the most about this place was the normalcy of it all — I didn’t know what to expect coming in, but I definitely thought things would feel more “on edge” considering the city’s recent history. However, much to my surprise and delight, life here seems to have moved on: at least at first glance.
Old Mosul
Hardly 15 feet behind the bazaar lies a part of town more in line with what I expected to see — utter and sheer destruction. It was a sad sight, of course. I am so grateful, though, that the soldiers allowed us to walk through. If you take one thing from this guide, RUN from the bazaar into this part of the town. The fishmongers throw the old fish heads in the space between the bazaar and here. The stench was so unbearable I almost vomited.
Thankfully, it won’t be like this for much longer. Crews are actively salvaging the buildings they can and building new ones. It’s tough to stomach the thought of the horrors that occurred here, but thank goodness there’s light at the end of the tunnel.
Wall of Nineveh
Mosul has strong historical and religious significance, as it is the site of old Nineveh. Unfortunately, ISIS destroyed practically all of these places of historical and religious value. However, I heard reports that some of the old Wall of Nineveh still remain, and I was determined to find it. Coordinates from Google Maps took us to a small farm on the edge of town. We saw large scattered stones telling us we had made it to the right place. We then walked a few minutes down a dirt path (flies were unbearable– please be smarter than me and bring bug spray) to find a few remaining stones intact.
Wow. There’s not much left, but finding this was certainly one of the highlights of my time in Iraq. I’m a history buff and love to stand in places where I can imagine the past. If only these stones could talk….
Mosul Museum
At the checkpoints on the way into Mosul, we told the soldiers that we were going to the city to visit the museum that had just reopened. However, it turns out that due to the lack of tourists, they don’t open the museum all that often. So, if you’re heading there, I recommend having your hotel call some people in the local government to make sure the museum is open. So we didn’t get to see the museum, but that didn’t detract at all from our stellar experience in Mosul.
Mar Mattai Monastery
After leaving Mosul, we drove about an hour to the Mar Mattai Monastery. This site is in Iraqi Kurdistan, meaning we had to pass through both Arab and Kurdish checkpoints. We ended up having to leave our passports with the Peshmerga (Kurdish soldiers) before continuing to the monastery.
Mar Mattai is located on the side of a mountain, the other side of which — we were told — was controlled by ISIS at one point. History owes the Peshmerga a great deal for protecting this site from sure destruction had it been captured by the terrorists. Our driver had to negotiate with the guard at the gate a bit for us to be let in, but he obliged once he heard we were interested tourists.
Once inside the gates, we were free to explore the grounds independently. This place is a true gem. There was some destruction at the beginning of the 20th century, so much of the structure has been reconstructed. One thing I love about reconstructions I saw throughout Iraqi Kurdistan is that they use the old materials. It provides such a nice feeling over cheesy buildings made to look old. I’ll let the photo collage below speak mainly for itself.
An Avoidable Border Kerfluffle
After leaving the monastery, we went back to the Kurdish checkpoint to collect our passports, reenter Arab Iraq, and then take the road back to Iraqi Kurdistan’s capital of Erbil. Since there are very few inter-city roads, our driver told us that going back through Arab Iraq is the only practical way.
However, it was on this journey that we ran into some issues. It seems like our routing of entering Arab Iraq twice in one day from different roads was cause for suspicion. This led to us being held at a checkpoint for a couple of hours. Thankfully, after calling in a superior and him making a few calls, we were let on through (and even given an apology by the head soldier).
So, to avoid a similar situation, enter and exit each part of the nation (Arab and Kurdish) by the same road.
Conclusion:
Visiting Mosul is an emotional experience, especially in the raw form you can still find it in. I’m not a religious man, but walking on the land of these cities is nevertheless quite moving. Also, if you just plan to go straight to Mosul and back to Erbil (and already have an Arab Iraq visa from Baghdad or Basra), then it’s a very easy day trip.
Please drop me a line if I can of any assistance in your planning process or if you just want to hear more. Tweet me @ToBetterPlaces.
