The reopening of Mosul University’s Central Library

The newly-rehabilitated Central Library at Iraq’s second-largest university, Mosul University, was officially reopened today by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Federal Republic of Germany, and the Ninewa Governorate.

 Mosul University’s Central Library, once a center of knowledge and culture, was left in ruins by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Founded in 1921, the Library became known as one of the richest libraries in Iraq, second only to the central library in Baghdad. It was a hive of activity and housed close to one million resources. During ISIL, it was bombarded by missiles and badly damaged, burning an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 books and manuscripts.

 The two-storey library is next to the bustling student center and recently reopened Theatre Hall. It can seat over 1,000 students at once and has the capacity to house over 100,000 books. The library comes with dedicated spaces for studying, meetings, computers, and exhibitions