Nineveh Record · An Open Archive from Mosul

The reference, complete & open

A scholarly chronicle of Nineveh — for the public, the scientist, the policymaker.

Nineveh Record is an evolving, open-access archive maintained by Al-Hadba University in Mosul. From the cuneiform tablets of ancient Nineveh to the reconstruction of the Old City, it gathers verifiable knowledge across seventeen domains of inquiry — citing sources, welcoming scholarly contribution, and serving readers in both Arabic and English.

Browse the topics — Why this archive?

Photograph of a colossal Assyrian Lamassu — a winged bull with a human head — flanked by two excavators.

Lamassu — guardian deity of ancient Nineveh, photographed during early excavations

§ I — The Domains

Seventeen fields of inquiry

Each entry is sourced, dated & multilingual

№ 01

Geography

Topography of the Tigris valley, sub-regions, plains, ridges & cartography.

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№ 02

History

From Nineveh and the Assyrian empire through Atabegs, Ottomans & modernity.

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№ 03

Politics

Provincial governance, councils, federal relations and local administration.

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№ 04

Geology

Soil profiles, hydrocarbon basins, seismicity & the Mosul Dam foundation.

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№ 05

Health

Hospitals, public-health indicators, medical schools and patient services.

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№ 06

Infrastructure

Bridges over the Tigris, road network, electricity, water & telecoms.

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№ 07

Education

Schools, universities, research output and academic institutions.

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№ 08

Culture

Mosuli dialect, cuisine, music, festivals, dress & daily life.

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№ 09

Heritage & Reconstruction

Old City, monuments, post-2017 restoration and the UNESCO Revive Mosul effort.

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№ 10

Art

Visual arts, calligraphy, the Mosul school of painting & contemporary studios.

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№ 11

Sport

Clubs, stadiums, footballers and the city's athletic institutions.

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№ 12

Tourism

Visiting Nineveh, the Old City, monasteries of the plain and the Mosul Dam lake.

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№ 13

Religions

Islam, Eastern Christianity, Yazidism, Mandaeism & the city's interfaith fabric.

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№ 14

Economy

Trade, oil, agriculture, banking, labour markets & reconstruction finance.

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№ 15

Weather & Climate

Continental climate, seasonal extremes, dust storms & long-term trends.

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№ 16

Human Resources

Demography, displacement & return, workforce, diaspora and skills mapping.

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№ 17

Natural Resources

Tigris waters, hydrocarbons, minerals, soils & biodiversity of the plain.

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About this archive

This archive is maintained by Al-Hadba University as part of its commitment to Mosul and Nineveh — rebuilding the province's human capital through education, restoring its research and library infrastructure, and offering this open, sourced, multilingual record to the community as a public good.

Al-Hadba University →

§ II — The Territory

The districts of Nineveh

Centred on Mosul, capital of the Governorate

iMosulThe provincial capital, on both banks of the Tigrisالمَوْصِل
iiTal AfarWest of Mosul, with its Ottoman-era citadelتَلْعَفَر
iiiSinjarThe Yazidi heartland and Mount Sinjarسِنْجار
ivAl-HamdaniyaIncluding Bakhdida, Bartella & the Christian plainالحَمْدانية
vTilkaifIncluding Bashiqa, Alqosh & Telkeppeتِلْكَيْف
viAl-Ba'ajThe arid south-western reach toward the borderالبَعّاج
viiAl-HatraSite of the UNESCO-listed ancient cityالحَضَر
viiiSheikhanLalish and the Yazidi spiritual centreالشَّيْخان
ixAkreMountainous district on the Kurdistan borderعَقْرة

§ III — The Charter

Why a record, & for whom

A standing project of Al-Hadba University

i. For the public

An accessible window onto the city

Mosul is older than most cities still inhabited on Earth. The Record is written so that any reader — student, traveller, returning son or daughter of the city — may understand it through plain language, in Arabic and English, without paywalls.

ii. For the scientist

A sourced reference for research

Every entry cites primary or peer-reviewed sources, dates its claims, and exposes its data. The Record aspires to be the first port of call for any scholar — Iraqi or international — beginning a study of Nineveh.

iii. For the policymaker

A common ground of fact

Sound policy depends on shared evidence. The Record gathers indicators on health, infrastructure, demography and economy in one neutral, regularly-updated place, so that decisions about the city rest on what is, not what is supposed.

Nineveh & Record