Restoration of Tal Afar Castle Begins
Tal Afar District Governor Halil Muhsin announced to AA correspondent that restoration work has begun at the historic Tal Afar Castle, which was severely damaged when the terrorist organization ISIS took over Mosul in 2014. Muhsin stated that as the first step of this important project, the restoration of the approximately 300-meter castle wall has been started, and that the restoration will take approximately two years to complete.
Muhsin, who stated that the restoration will be carried out by the Mosul Governorate and that a budget of approximately $650,000 has been allocated for this purpose, emphasized that this amount may not be sufficient for the entire repair of the castle. Therefore, he said that they will request additional financial support from the Baghdad government.
District Governor Muhsin stated that there are plans to turn the historical castle into a museum after the restoration process is completed and that they aim to make this area an important place among the historical and touristic values of Mosul.
Efforts of Turkmeneli Human Rights Center
On the other hand, Ali Habib, the Tal Afar Coordinator of the Turkmeneli Human Rights Center affiliated with the Turkmeneli Cooperation and Culture Foundation, stated that they were the “first institution” to apply to the government for the restoration of the castle destroyed by the terrorist organization ISIS. Habib added that they applied to the Baghdad government to expand the restoration work and that they were also working to include the castle on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
These initiatives present a great opportunity to revive the historical importance of Tal Afar Castle and to add touristic value to the region.
