Mosul Museum

Mosul, Nineveh Governorate, Iraq

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The Mosul Museum, located in Mosul in Iraq’s Nineveh Governorate, is one of the country’s most important museums and is considered the second largest after the National Museum of Iraq in Baghdad.

Established in 1952, it housed significant archaeological collections from ancient Mesopotamian civilizations, particularly the Assyrian, Hellenistic, and Islamic periods, including artifacts from nearby sites such as Nimrud, Nineveh, and Hatra. The museum suffered extensive damage during years of conflict. After closing following the 2003 Iraq War, it gained international attention in 2015 when the extremist group ISIS (Daesh) destroyed or damaged numerous artifacts and parts of the building.

Since 2018, Iraqi authorities and international partners, including the Musée du Louvre, the Smithsonian Institution, the World Monuments Fund, and the ALIPH Foundation, have worked to restore the museum, conserve damaged artifacts, and prepare it for reopening. The restoration aims to reestablish the museum as a major cultural and educational center celebrating the rich heritage of northern Iraq.