Best Tourist Places to Visit in Mosul, Iraq
Mosul is one of the major cities of Iraq and the capital city of Nineveh Province. It is the third biggest city after Bagdad and Basra in the country and is situated about 405 km northwest of national capital Bagdad. Mosul City is placed on the banks of River Tigris at the coordinates of 36.34° N 43.13° E. The people of Mosul are generally called as Maslawis.
Mosul is very much famous in the productions of Mosul marble and the fabric Muslin. Iraq’s one of the leading educational institute ‘University of Mosul’ is placed in the heart of Mosul City and the important sport centres of Mosul include Mosul Stadium and Al Mosul University Stadium.
Culture in Mosul:
Mosul is populated with higher majority of Arab tribes like Assyrians, Turcoman and Kurdish minorities followed by Armenians, Assyrians, Kurds, Turkmens and Assyrian Christians. The languages spoken by the natives of Mosul include Aleppan Arabic, Levantine Arabic and Iraqi Arabic.
Compared to other regions of Iraq, Christians are highly residing in Mosul and the city houses several churches namely ancient Tahira Church and Mar Hudeni Church. The natives of Mosul have good hand in producing handicraft products of metalwork and variety of clothes.
Connectivity to Mosul:
Mosul is one of the commercial and cultural centres of Iraq and has a good connectivity with all the major cities of the country like Basra, Bagdad, Karbala, Kirkuk and Erbil. Mosul Airport is situated about 9 kms from the midpoint of Mosul City. Buses are accessible at Mosul City Bus Stand and other local terminals at regular intervals. One can hire Taxi to visit tourist destinations and to reach nearby cities.
Tourist Attractions in Mosul:
Mosul Museum:
Mosul Museum is a beautifully constructed museum situated in the centre of Mosul City. The entrance floor of the museum is designed with full of striking Mosul Marble and the museum has a large collection of ancient coins and photographs.
The Great (Nuriddin) Mosque:
The Great (Nuriddin) Mosque was constructed in 1172 AD by Nuriddin Zangi, located in the vicinity of famous Umayyad Mosque. This mosque is very much famous for its outer structure.
Church of St. Thomas:
Church of St. Thomas is a historical church named in the memory of St. Thomas. It is believed that, this church was constructed in 770 AD.
St. George’s Monastery:
St. George’s Monastery is one of the ancient churches situated to the north of Mosul City. It was constructed during the end of 17th century and named in the remembrance of St. George.
Mar Petion Church:
Mar Petion Church is considered as the first Chaldean Catholic church of Mosul. It was reconstructed several times due to the destruction.
Mar Hudeni Church:
Mar Hudeni Church was built during 10th century named in the memory of Mar Ahudemmeh Maphrian of Tikrit.
Mosul Stadium:
Mosul Stadium is the major stadium of Mosul currently used for football matches located in Mosul. The stadium has a seating capacity of 10,000 people.
The list of other tourist attractions near Mosul is as follows:
- Mashad Yahya Abul Kassem
- Bash Tapia Castle
- Qara Serai
- Mosque of the Prophet Yunus
- Shamoun Al-Safa
- Monastery of Mar Behnam
- Mar Matte
Ideal time to visit Mosul:
January, December and July are the ideal months to visit Erbil.
Accommodation options near Mosul:
The best hotels in and around Mosul are:
- Ninavah International Hotel
- Ar Rafidiaain Hotel
- Ashur Hotel
- Atlas Hotel
- Rafidain Hotel
- Divan Erbil Hotel
- Noble Hotel
- Van Royal Hotel
- Jabar Palace Hotel
- DMDM Hotel
- Mondeal Hotel
- Altin Saray Erbil Hotel