Mosul Museum Museum

Address: Mosul, Nineveh Governorate, Iraq

The Mosul Museum is a public archaeological museum in the city of Mosul, in Nineveh Governorate in northern Iraq. It was historically Iraq’s second-largest museum and held collections from the ancient sites of the Mosul/Nineveh region.

Exhibits were concentrated on ancient Mesopotamian and regional archaeology, with sculptures, reliefs and small finds from local Assyrian and other antiquities. Before 2014 many displays illustrated the archaeological heritage of nearby sites such as Nineveh and other tells in the plain of Nineveh.

The museum served as a regional museum through the 20th and early 21st centuries and was open to the public until the period of conflict in Mosul in 2014-2015. During that period the museum building was damaged and significant items were destroyed, stolen or removed; subsequent recovery and conservation work has been undertaken by Iraqi authorities and international partners.

Located in the city of Mosul in northern Iraq, the museum sits within the urban area that overlooks the archaeological landscape of ancient Nineveh and other nearby sites in the Tigris plain.

• Access: Access and opening hours can be restricted and dependent on local security and reconstruction work; check current conditions before planning a visit.
• Collections status: Collections focused on archaeology from the Mosul and Nineveh region, including Assyrian-era material; a significant portion of the holdings was damaged, looted or dispersed during 2014-2015 and some items have since been subject to recovery and conservation efforts.

The museum is in Mosul city; travel to the area requires careful planning and local coordination due to variable security conditions. Access is arranged through local authorities, and visitors should not attempt independent visits without proper clearance.

• Check current status before planning - the museum suffered during the conflict and its collection and building have been undergoing recovery and relocation efforts.
• If visiting Mosul, arrange for a local fixer/guide familiar with cultural heritage sites; security and access can change rapidly.
• Look for exhibitions and publications from international partners - many artifacts have been documented in digital catalogues.