In Iraq’s Mosul, Library Rises from Ashes of ISIS Reign

A librarian shows a book from University of Iraq's northern city of Mosul, one of those that escaped destruction at the hands of the ISIS group Zaid AL-OBEIDI AFP

The storied library of Iraq's Mosul University boasted a million titles before ISIS militants rampaged through it, toppling book shelves and burning ancient texts.

Now, almost five years after their defeat, the war-battered northern metropolis is trying to rebuild the pride of the city long known as a literature hub boasting countless booksellers and archives guarding rare manuscripts.