The Lions by the River Tigris: Restoring Mosul’s Artefacts

After Mosul was liberated from ISIL, fisherman Bashar guarded a marble gate topped with carved lions, the last remnant of his family home destroyed in the fighting. Fakhri, a collector committed to preserving the city’s heritage, became determined to acquire the gate for his unofficial museum. His friend Fadil, a musician silenced under ISIL, urges him to consider the human cost behind each artefact. As Mosul rebuilds, a quiet cultural revival reflects the resilience of a city with 8,000 years of history.