Mosul Museum
| The Cultural Museum of Mosul | |
|---|---|
| متحف الموصل | |
  Location within Mosul | |
| Former name | Mosul Museum of History |
| Established | 1952 |
| Location | Mosul, Iraq |
| Coordinates | 36°20′17″N 43°08′22″E / 36.337923°N 43.139372°E |
| Type | National History Museum |
| Collection size | approx. 2,200 pieces |
| Director | Hicket al-Aswad |
| Owner | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities |
The Mosul Museum is the second largest museum in Iraq after the National Museum of Iraq in Baghdad. It was badly looted during the 2003 Iraq War.[1][2] Founded in 1952, the museum consisted of a small hall until a new building was opened in 1972, containing ancient Assyrian artifacts.[3]
In 2014 the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) occupied the Museum as it was about to reopen after years of rebuilding. ISIL said that its statues were against Islam and threatened to destroy the museum's contents.[4][5] On 26 February 2015, a day after burning books from Mosul libraries,[6] the group released a video showing the destruction of artifacts in the museum and at the archaeological site at Nimrud, claiming the sites promoted "Idolatry".[7] ISIL stated that they intend to destroy the historic walls of Nineveh.
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova said she was deeply shocked at the footage showing the destruction and has asked the president of the UN security council to convene an emergency meeting “on the protection of Iraq’s cultural heritage as an integral element for the country’s security”.[8]
See also
- List of museums in Iraq
- Archaeological looting in Iraq
- Destruction of cultural heritage by ISIL or ISIS in 2014-2015
References
- ↑ Mosul descends into chaos as even museum is looted. The Guardian. April 12, 2003
- ↑ Unesco inspection finds no evidence of recent looting in Northern Iraq The Art Newspaper
- ↑ Riyadh Mohammed (26 Feb 2015). "ISIS Destroys Second Largest Museum in Iraq". The Fiscal Times.
- ↑ "The Plight Of Mosul's Museum: Iraqi Antiquities At Risk Of Ruin". NPR.org. 9 July 2014. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
- ↑ Christopher Dickey, "ISIS Is About to Destroy Biblical History in Iraq,", The Daily Beast, July 7, 2014. Retrieved December 22, 2014
- ↑ "Isis destroys thousands of books and manuscripts in Mosul libraries". The Guardian. 26 Feb 2015.
- ↑ "ISIS thugs take a hammer to civilisation: Priceless 3,000-year-old artworks smashed to pieces in minutes as militants destroy Mosul museum". Daily Mail. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
- ↑ Kareem Shaheen (27 Feb 2015). "Isis fighters destroy ancient artefacts at Mosul museum". The Guardian.
Coordinates: 36°20′16″N 43°08′22″E / 36.3379°N 43.1394°E