Bash Tapia Castle Castle

Address: Mosul (historical location along the Tigris River), Nineveh Governorate, Iraq

Bash Tapia Castle is a medieval riverside fortress in Mosul, Nineveh Governorate, Iraq, overlooking the Tigris. It dates to the medieval period and served as one of the city’s defensive strongpoints.

The site consists of ruined curtain walls and towers set above the river; the castle occupies a narrow riverfront promontory at the edge of Mosul’s historic quarter. Access on foot from the old city side provides the closest viewpoints, while the opposite bank gives an unobstructed view of the silhouette of the remaining walls.

The castle was built and used as a defensive fortification for Mosul through successive medieval and later periods. It suffered extensive structural damage during the recent armed conflict in Mosul, leaving parts of the structure collapsed and others unstable.

The castle sits on the eastern bank of the Tigris at the edge of Mosul’s historic district in Nineveh Governorate, close to the old city center of Mosul.

• Viewing point: Best seen from the Tigris riverbank or the opposite bank for an unobstructed view of the ruined walls and towers.
• Condition: Sustained major damage during the fighting for Mosul between 2014 and 2017, leaving large sections collapsed or unstable.

• The condition of Bash Tapia Castle has fluctuated due to conflict-if planning any visit, consult current safety advisories and local contacts.
• Photographs from before 2015 show a more complete structure; significant damage has affected the site in recent years.
• Treat the site with historical respect; it forms part of Mosul's medieval defensive complex.