MOSUL UNIVERSITY REBUILDS FROM ISLAMIC STATE DISASTER
March 11th, 2023
When Saif al-Ashqar was tasked with rebuilding the library of the University of Mosul in Iraq, he was given a free rein – but no cash. Islamic State, which occupied the city between 2014 and 2017, had burned the prestigious library to the ground, destroying what remained of its vast collection of books, historic maps and ancient manuscripts.
Al-Ashqar now faced the gargantuan challenge of restoring the 3,000 square metres of charred premises. The university had once been one of Iraq’s finest institutions, the central library around which it was built ...
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