History
The castle stood on the steep bank of the Tigris at the northern tip of old Mosul and formed the strongest point of the city walls. Its origins are uncertain: they go back to the Middle Ages, when Mosul was one of the chief cities of northern Mesopotamia, and the walls were destroyed and rebuilt many times, notably after the Mongols sacked the city in 1262. The present name dates from Ottoman times, when Mosul belonged to the empire from the 16th century. In 1743 the castle was a mainstay of the city's defence during the failed siege by the Persian ruler Nader Shah. What has come down to us is mainly a massive tower with a stretch of wall, which was further damaged in the fighting for Mosul in 2014–2017.
What to see
A mighty fragment of stone wall and tower survives, towering over the Tigris bank north of the old city. The hill looks out over the river to its eastern bank, where the ruins of Assyrian Nineveh lie. It is one of the few surviving traces of Mosul's medieval defences and an important landmark in the old city's skyline.
Wikipedia article Wikidata Q19968534
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