A video posted online Feb. 26 by the Islamic State (IS) shows militants from the group destroying artifacts at Mosul's Ninevah Museum, the second most important museum in Iraq, after the Iraq Museum in Baghdad. According to archaeologists, it is one of the most important museums in the world, housing artifacts from the successive civilizations that inhabited the city over thousands of years. The worst might be yet to come, as IS-occupied Mosul hosts almost 2,000 archaeological sites and buildings, including the Hatra temple complex, which is on UNESCO's list of World Heritage sites.

While some commentators described the museum’s ransacking as a cultural tragedy or disaster, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova issued a statement Feb. 26 asserting, “This attack is far more than a cultural tragedy. This is also a security issue as it fuels sectarianism, violent extremism and conflict in Iraq.” She called for “an emergency meeting of the Security Council on the protection of Iraq’s cultural heritage as an integral element for the country’s security.” 

The Ninevah Museum, built in 1952, includes artifacts from the Assyrian civilization, which arose in the second millennium B.C. The civilization is renowned for its architectural achievements and statue production, in particular statues of large, winged bulls, as well as its accomplishments in astronomy, mathematics and agricultural sciences. Following the demise of the Assyrian civilization in the first millennium B.C., Mosul experienced the successive rise of a number of civilizations — including the Persians, Romans, Sassanians and Hatrans — until Muslims took the city in 641.

Over the course of thousands of years, these civilizations left behind ruins, antiquities, libraries and buildings exhibiting diverse architectural styles, making the city of Mosul a major cultural destination and one of the most important centers of world heritage. According to a statement issued by the Iraqi Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in August 2014, Mosul has 1,791 archaeological sites, 250 historic buildings and 20 large libraries containing important Islamic manuscripts.