📰 Qara Saray

Qara Saray, meaning “The Black Palace,” was a palace complex in Mosul located on the west bank of the Tigris River. It was built by Badr al-Din Lu’lu, mamluk emir of the Zengid dynasty, who ruled what is now northern Iraq during the thirteenth century, and who had a significant long-term impact on the history of Mosul. Significant parts of the structure of Qara Saray remained by the 1980s, although it suffered damage during the Iran-Iraq War. Unlike many other historic sites in Mosul, such as al-Nuri Mosque and Mar Girgis Church, Qara Saray did not experience further destruction during the period of occupation by the Islamic State of Syria and the Levant (ISIL) from 2014 to 2017. However, like many other structures damaged in Mosul during ISIL's occupation, Qara Saray became a focus of heritage conservation efforts supported by NGO’s in partnership with Iraqi government agencies and institutions after 2017.