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How did Islamic State attacks in 2014–16 damage monuments at Nineveh?
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Nineveh
The partially reconstructed Nergal Gate in Nineveh, Iraq.
Between 2014 and 2016, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) carried out a campaign of deliberate destruction at the ancient city of Nineveh as part of a broader effort to erase cultural heritage they deemed idolatrous.12
ISIL fighters systematically looted, defaced, and destroyed significant portions of the site. Their attacks specifically targeted:2
- Artifacts: The group destroyed various antiquities, including bas-relief sculptures and winged bull statues (lamassu), some of which were housed within the Mosul Museum.1
- Monuments: Significant portions of the ancient city were razed or defaced during the group's occupation of the region.2
The international community, including UNESCO, has condemned these actions as war crimes, emphasizing that the deliberate targeting of culturally significant objects is a violation of international law and a profound assault on shared human history.2