‘A symbol of new beginning’: Mosul’s university library reopens

The institution suffered a devastating attack by Islamic State in 2014. Eight years on, an international effort has seen it reopen as a lighthouse of knowledge'

The university library in Mosul, which was bombed by Islamic State militants, has opened its doors again, describing itself as a lighthouse of knowledge" which is once again burning bright".

Founded in 1921, the library was ransacked and bombarded by missiles during the IS occupation of the city, with an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 books and manuscripts destroyed. It was reopened on 19 February by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with financial support from Germany and book donations from around the world, including over 20,000 from the UK.