With support from the University of Richmond

History News Network puts current events into historical perspective. Subscribe to our newsletter for new perspectives on the ways history continues to resonate in the present. Explore our archive of thousands of original op-eds and curated stories from around the web. Join us to learn more about the past, now.

ISIS is destroying both Shia and Sunni shrines and buildings in Mosul

The destruction of Nabi Yunis was the most discussed in the last couple of days, both on the internet and messages from friends.  The iconic minaret was from 1924 it replaced the Ottoman one that collapsed. However the fear is for what is underneath the shrine, the Assyrian Palace.  The unusual Bulls which were excavated in the 90s, were later covered with earth at the request of the Shrine people however, recently bits of them are visible. Apparently after the fundamentalists destroyed all the Shia mosques in Mosul and the other towns, they have now turned to the Sunni shrines, few days ago they destroyed Imam Yahya al-Qassin  (13th Cen.) with its conical dome. The shrines of Nabi Danial and Abu al-‘Ulah have also been destroyed. I also got a message saying: ISIS evacuated the houses around the Hadba-Leaning  minaret (12 cen.). It is not certain if the minaret is intended or the shrine of Ali al-Hadi who is buried in the Nidhamia School (12 Cen.). Usually the time ISIS does its destructions is after the evening prayer, so we await helplessly their next move. 

Mosul has about two hundred heritage buildings, many are of the Ottoman Period, and some are still being used as government buildings, a number have already gone, destroyed by ISIS,  the Sarai was the police headquarters and the Ottoman hospital, the head quarter of the Intelligence, she said it was raised to the ground.

Last night they destroyed a church in Mosul, I am not sure which one. One Christian woman with two-disabled daughter was asked eith to convert to Islam or leave, she was unable to leave so they demanded a “Jizyah” of $450, which was donated by her Muslim neighbors.

At the University, ISIS mebers met with some of the academics and informed that the College of Arts will be closed, some of the departments at the College of Archaeology will be closed. There will be a change of the entire Curriculum.