Mosul museum reopens with legacy of ISIS destruction

MOSUL, Iraq — Mosul’s celebrated museum has not recovered since Daesh (ISIS) extremists ravaged its ancient treasures several years ago, but part of the complex reopened Tuesday to showcase recent art. For the first time since Daesh overran the Iraqi city in 2014, visitors could wander the grandiose royal reception hall, which forms part of the museum.

The building is considered the oldest government complex in Mosul and was recently renovated to host the 29-artist exhibition, titled “Return to Mosul,” a member of the organizing Al-Ghad Radio station told AFP.

The Iraqi city served as Daesh’s seat of power for three years, before Iraqi troops recaptured it in 2017.

Much of Mosul’s east has made a modest recovery, but the west - home to the Old City and the museum - remains in ruins.

The exhibition, said Huda Hani, a 25-year-old visitor Tuesday, was “proof that war didn’t kill Mosul and that, on the contrary, it’s living a full-on renaissance.”

Buttoned up in warm jackets, families walked through the hall to look at paintings and sculptures, many of which feature themes of home, return, or conflict.

The rest of the museum remains closed for security reasons, director Zeid Saadallah told AFP, adding, “You have to protect what is left.”

During its bloody reign over Mosul, Daesh released a video of its militants attacking the museum with sledgehammers and pneumatic drills, destroying priceless pre-Islamic artifacts that it considered insulting to religion.

The damaged pieces including two imposing “lamassu” statues, Assyrian winged bulls with human faces. Daesh also caused extensive damage to the Assyrian city of Nimrud, the ancient city of Hatra, and the centuries-old desert city of Palmyra in neighboring Syria.

In addition to destroying artifacts, the group trafficked valuable pieces to finance its activities.

In partnership with Google, 3-D printer BQ, and other organizations, Mosul’s artists and technicians are looking to print three-dimensional versions of the smashed pieces.

ALIPH, a heritage-focused project led by France the UAE, has dedicated $480,000 to help in the first phase of the museum’s reconstruction.