In Iraq, virtual reality to dive into pre-war Mosul

The emblematic al-Nouri mosque, before it was destroyed with explosives by the Islamic State (IS) group, but also the al-Tahira church, at the bend of the winding streets of the old town: at the Using thousands of images, Mosul engineers have given a second – virtual – life to five historical sites in Mosul and its province of Nineveh.

The experience is offered by the Mosul Heritage House, a private museum inaugurated in mid-June in a building with an elegant gray marble facade, on the banks of the Tigris.

"The museum took me back forty years," sighs Mahiya Youssef, removing the black helmet screwed onto her pink hijab.

"We are transported to another world. I would really like this to be the real Mosul, not a virtual Mosul", continues the fifty-year-old, a gold necklace falling on her black tunic.

"Returning to reality is painful," she says.

Five years after the defeat of IS and the reconquest of Mosul by Iraqi forces and an international coalition, the northern metropolis remains a patchwork of buildings in ruins and buildings under construction, as so many testimonies of the violence fights.

The inhabitants have returned but the historic sites, mosques and centuries-old churches, are still being restored. Whole swaths of old Mosul are just oceans of rubble.

"Saving Memory"

In the first month of its inauguration, the museum welcomed more than 4.000 visitors, says its founder, Ayoub Younès.

"It is open to all visitors who have not seen the heritage of Mosul destroyed by war," explains the 29-year-old.

To try out the only virtual reality helmet available to the institution, the curious are placed in a room with dark walls.

They can virtually browse five sites, including the al-Nouri mosque, or the archaeological site of Hatra. This 2.000-year-old city, in a desert about a hundred kilometers from Mosul, was ransacked with pickaxes by the jihadists who occupied up to a third of Iraqi territory in 2014.

"Many children have never seen, for example, the al-Nouri mosque and its al-Hadba minaret", of which only the base remains today, recognizes Mr. Younes.

The virtual landscapes were created by specialized engineers from Qaf Lab, which presents itself as an "innovation hub" and an incubator supporting young entrepreneurs.

On his computer screen, a member of the team, Abdallah Bachir, shows a 3D replica of the mosque housing the tomb of the prophet Jonas (Nabi Younès), destroyed by the jihadists.

"We used personal photos or snapshots taken by residents. We were thus able to reconstruct the mosque," he said. The main difficulty: "the lack of photos of ancient sites. There were very few photos before 2014".

For the engineer, the project is "a way to save the memory of Mosul".

"Slow Rebuilding"

In the vaulted rooms supported by marble pillars, a hundred pieces are also exhibited in the museum's display cases: terracotta amphorae, metal containers, an old radio.

There is also a silver samovar, oil lamps, traditional hangings on the walls. Everyday objects, most often dating from the past century, donations made by Mosul families.

In a wheelchair, Mohamed Abdallah goes around the windows, after having tried the experience of virtual reality. For him too the contrast with reality is painful.

"The reconstruction is extremely slow, it is not up to the devastation," laments the young man.

He calls for accelerating the restoration of heritage sites, to attract tourists but also to "breathe life" into the surrounding neighborhoods.

Despite the bitter taste left by his walk in 3D, he has not lost hope. "A day will come when when we do this ride in reality, it will be even more beautiful than the virtual one."