Mosul, Capital of the Ninawa Governorate

Mosul is the capital of the Ninawa Governorate in northern Iraq. The city can be found on the west side of the Tigris. Today the majority of its population is Arab. After Baghdad, it is Iraq’s second largest city.

Mosul Sunset ©Flickr Scuba_thib

An important product of the area is Mosul marble. In 1987, the city’s population was 664,221 people; the 2008 population about 3 times as high which represents the rapid growth of the region. One of the largest educational and research centers in Iraq and the Middle East is the University of Mosul. The city contains the tombs of several Old Testament prophets such as Jonah and Nahum.

Mosul has many old historical mosques, castles, churches, monasteries and schools. In the center is a maze of streets and 19th century houses.

The market counts to the points of interest because of the amount of different cultures selling things there. The Mosul Museum contains an interesting collection from the ancient sites of the Assyrian cities Nineveh and Nimrud which are near the city.