Iraq's second city and one of its cultural jewels
Mosul was conquered by Arabs in 641
It reached its cultural peak in the 12th century
It fell into the hands of Mongols in 1262, and then to Persians and Ottomans
The city became part of Iraq out of the ashes of the Ottoman Empire in the 1920s
Britain annexed the region in 1918
Mosul straddles Tigris River about 350 km north of Baghdad
Rich in oil
Muslin, the fine cotton fabric, derives its name from “Mosul”
It has long been a trading hub between Iraq, Syria and Turkey
Its population was once a mosaic of Arabs, Kurds,Turkmen,Christians and other minorities
It controls key supply routes in N Iraq: a highway to the border with Syria and Aleppo
Daesh leader declares Mosul a so-called “caliphate”
Daesh destroyed Muslim mosques and sanctuaries
Militants burned thousands of rare books
Daesh terrorists smashed priceless statues
They rigged the Nabi Yunus shrine with explosives
Daesh destroyed the Prophet Seth shrine
Iraqi Army Announces Mosul’s liberation from Daesh on 9/7/2017
