Stand on the right bank of the Tigris and the ruined walls of Bash Tapia Castle rise above the water, a reminder of how much of Mosul's fabric has been lost and how much is being pieced back together. Cross to the east side and the Kuyunjik Mound lifts you above the plain where Nineveh once stood, with the city's modern streets pressing in around it.
Mosul suits travellers drawn to living history rather than polished tourism: people who are willing to see damaged mosques, churches under restoration and archaeological mounds that have suffered from neglect and conflict. The city is a historical centre of the Assyrians and the surrounding Nineveh Plain is home to a mix of communities, so the religious architecture here spans mosques, churches and monasteries.
This guide covers the sights named in the source material, from the Great Mosque of al-Nuri to the monasteries of the Nineveh Plain, and closes with a one-day plan that strings the most central of them together.
Top things to do in Mosul
1. Great Mosque of al-Nuri
Tradition holds that Nur ad-Din Zangi built this mosque in 1172–1173, shortly before his death. Its brickwork minaret, the Al-Hadba or "the hunchback", leaned like the Tower of Pisa and stood 52 metres high. It was destroyed during the last days of the Battle of Mosul in 2017, and reconstruction efforts were ongoing as of 2020.
Visit with an awareness that the site is a reconstruction in progress rather than a standing monument. It sits in the old city on the western side, so combine it with a walk through the surrounding streets and the other historic mosques nearby.
2. Mosque of the Prophet Yunus
This site carries a shared Jewish, Christian and Islamic heritage as the supposed burial place of Prophet Jonah. It sits on a prominent mound just south of Nineveh, and formerly housed both the palace of King Esarhaddon and an Assyrian church before a mosque was constructed on the site in the 12th century. The mosque was largely destroyed by ISIS in 2014, but parts of it remain.
Because of its position on the mound, it pairs naturally with the Nineveh ruins. Allow time to take in the layers of the site rather than treating it as a single building.
3. Kuyunjik Mound
This ruin mound rises about 20 metres above the surrounding plain of ancient Nineveh. It is the site of the palaces of King Sennacherib and his successors, including Ashurbanipal, who established the Library of Ashurbanipal. Today there is little evidence of the old excavations other than weathered pits and earth piles.
Set your expectations accordingly: this is an archaeological landscape rather than a reconstructed palace. Combine it with the Nebi Yunus mound, the second ruin mound at Nineveh, and with the Mosul Museum if you want context for what was found here.
4. Nineveh ruins
Just across the river from Mosul lie the great ruins of Nineveh, an ancient Assyrian city and capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. It was besieged, destroyed and left unpopulated after the 612 BC battle of Nineveh. Repeated archaeological projects and some half-finished reconstruction attempts have taken place, but the site suffers from rapid decay due to lack of protection from the elements, vandalism and looting, and large parts of it, including its walls, were sacked by ISIS in 2016.
Go with the understanding that you are walking through a site under pressure rather than a maintained park. The two mounds, Kuyunjik and Nebi Yunus, are the anchors of a visit here.
5. Mosul Museum
The museum used to contain many finds from the ancient sites of the old Assyrian capital cities Nineveh and Nimrud. Some of the collection was spared destruction, and the museum reopened in late 2020.
Visit it before or after the Nineveh ruins so the objects and the mounds make sense together. It is the most straightforward way to see material from the Assyrian sites without relying on what remains in situ.
6. Al-Tahera Church
This Syriac Catholic church was completed in 1862 and was severely damaged in 2017, but has since been restored. It was built on top of the Ancient al-Tahera Church, which dates back to the 7th century and was last reconstructed in 1743. The old church can still be visited, located three metres below ground level.
The lower church is the part most visitors miss, so ask about access to it. Pair the visit with the other churches in the old city, several of which are within walking distance of one another.
7. Our Lady of the Hour Church
Known locally as the Latin Church, this large Latin church was built in the 1870s with an impressive clock tower. It was partially destroyed by ISIS in 2015, but has been faithfully restored to much of its former glory.
Its clock tower makes it easy to spot from the surrounding streets. Combine it with Shamoun Al-Safa and the Church of St. Thomas, both among the oldest churches in the city.
8. Shamoun Al-Safa (St. Peter, Mar Petros)
The oldest church in Mosul, it dates from the 13th century and is named after Shamoun Al-Safa, or St. Peter. Early on it carried the name of the two Apostles, Peter and Paul, and had early been inhabited by the nuns of the Sacred Hearts.
As with several of Mosul's ancient churches, its entrance sits in a thick wall and is not easy to find, so allow extra time to locate it. It works well as part of a church-focused walk in the old city.
9. Church of St. Thomas (Mar Touma)
One of the oldest historical churches in the city, it is named after St. Thomas the Apostle, who preached the Gospel in the East, including India.
Visit it alongside Shamoun Al-Safa and Our Lady of the Hour Church, since all three are historic churches in the same part of the city and reward a single unhurried circuit.
10. Mart Meskinta Chaldean Church
This Chaldean Catholic church dates back to the 12th century, with its latest major remodelling in 1851.
It is one of several Chaldean sites in Mosul, so combine it with Mar Petion Church and Mar Hudeni Church if you are following the city's Chaldean heritage.
11. Mar Petion Church
Mar Petion was educated by his cousin in a monastery and was martyred in 446 AD. This is the first Chaldean Catholic church in Mosul, after the union of many Assyrians with Rome in the 17th century. It dates back to the 10th century and lies three metres below street level, and it has suffered destruction and been reconstructed many times.
Note the level change as you enter, since the church sits below the modern street. It fits neatly into a walk that includes Mar Hudeni Church and Mart Meskinta Chaldean Church.
12. Mar Hudeni Church
Named after Mar Ahudemmeh (Hudeni), Maphrian of Tikrit, who was martyred in 575 AD, this is an old church of the Tikritans in Mosul. It dates back to the 10th century, lies seven metres below street level, and was first reconstructed in 1970.
People can get mineral water from the well in its yard, and the chain fixed in the wall is thought to cure epileptics. The depth below street level makes the descent part of the experience.
13. St. George's Monastery (Mar Gurguis)
One of the oldest churches in Mosul, named after St. George, it was probably built late in the 17th century. It sits about six metres below street level, and a modern church was built over the old one in 1931, abolishing much of its archaeological significance. The only monuments left are a marble door-frame decorated with a carved Estrangelo (Syriac) inscription, and two niches, which date back to the 13th or 14th century.
Pilgrims from different parts of the north visit it yearly in the spring, when many people also go out to its whereabouts on holiday. Look for the marble door-frame and the niches, since they are the surviving historic elements.
14. Al-Raabiya Mosque
Built in 1766 with an impressive decorated dome, the site was damaged during the war but was being rebuilt in 2021.
The dome is the reason to come. Treat it as one stop among the city's historic mosques rather than a standalone outing.
15. Mar Mattai Monastery
This famous monastery sits about 20 km east of Mosul on the top of a high mountain, Mount Maqloub. It was built by Mar Matte, a monk who fled with several other monks in 362 AD from the Monastery of Zuknin near the City of Amid (Diyarbakir) during the reign of Emperor Julian the Apostate. It has a precious library containing Syriac scriptures.
Because it lies outside the city, plan it as a half-day trip rather than a stop on a city walk. The library is the highlight for anyone interested in Syriac manuscripts.
16. Monastery of Mar Behnam
Also called Deir Al-Jubb (the Cistern Monastery), it was built in the 12th or 13th century and lies in the Nineveh Plain near Nimrud, about 32 kilometres southwest of Mosul. The monastery is a great fort-like building that rises next to the tomb of Mar Behnam, a prince who was killed by the Sassanians, perhaps during the 4th century AD.
Its position near Nimrud makes it a natural pairing with a day in the Nineveh Plain. The fort-like scale of the building is the striking part.
17. Monastery of Saint Elijah (Dair Mar Elia)
These are the ruins of the oldest Christian monastery in Iraq, dating from the 6th century. It was severely damaged by ISIS in 2014.
Come for the sense of the site's age rather than for standing architecture. It is best combined with the other Christian sites on the Nineveh Plain.
18. Bash Tapia Castle
Mosul's old walls have disappeared, but these imposing ruins rose high over the Tigris until they were largely destroyed by ISIS in 2016.
Its position over the river makes it a good stop while walking the right bank. The surviving ruins still give a sense of how the fortifications once commanded the Tigris.
19. Qara Serai (Black Palace)
These are the remnants of the 13th century palace of Sultan Badruddin Lu'lu'.
It is a short stop rather than a full visit, best folded into a walk through the old city's historic remains.
20. Beit al-Tutunji
This early nineteenth-century historic house represents a fine example of Ottoman vernacular architecture. It was badly damaged during the ISIS occupation but was being rehabilitated as of late 2021, and is expected to reopen as a museum and cultural centre.
Check locally whether it has reopened before making a special trip. If it has, it is the clearest surviving example of the old houses that once filled the town centre.
21. Barood Khana
Built in 1843 as the headquarters of the Ottoman military.
It is a brief stop for those tracing the city's Ottoman layer, and pairs with Qara Serai and Beit al-Tutunji.
22. Mosul War Cemetery
This British war cemetery holds victims from both World Wars.
It is a quiet counterpoint to the city's religious and military sites, and suits travellers interested in the twentieth-century history of the region.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start on the east side at the Kuyunjik Mound, then walk the Nineveh ruins and the Nebi Yunus mound. Follow with the Mosque of the Prophet Yunus, which sits on a prominent mound just south of Nineveh.
Afternoon: Cross to the city and visit the Mosul Museum for the finds from Nineveh and Nimrud. Then move through the old city's churches: Shamoun Al-Safa, the Church of St. Thomas, Our Lady of the Hour Church and Al-Tahera Church, including the older church three metres below ground level.
Evening: End at the Great Mosque of al-Nuri to see the reconstruction of the Al-Hadba minaret, then walk to Bash Tapia Castle for the ruins above the Tigris as the light goes.
Frequently asked questions
Are non-Muslims allowed to visit the mosques in Mosul?
Some mosques might be off limits to visit for non-Muslims, so ask before entering. Many of the city's mosques are also in a state of disrepair or have been damaged by war.
What condition are the historic churches in?
Many churches were partly or completely destroyed by ISIS during their rule, and as of 2020 many are in ruins. Some, including Our Lady of the Hour Church and Al-Tahera Church, have since been restored.
Is the Mosul Museum open?
Yes. Some of the collection was spared destruction and the museum reopened in late 2020.
Can I see the ruins of Nineveh?
Yes, but the site suffers from rapid decay due to lack of protection from the elements, vandalism and looting, and large parts of it, including its walls, were sacked by ISIS in 2016. The Kuyunjik Mound and the Nebi Yunus mound are the two ruin mounds to look for.
Use this list to sketch your own route through the city and the Nineveh Plain, and check the current status of each site before you set out.