Nine-Nine-One-Three-Five: Lost (and Found) in Mosul

okay, so mosul. it’s…a lot. i didn’t even plan on ending up here, honestly. it started with a misread flight number - 99135 instead of something sensible - and a frankly alarming lack of sleep. i’m a vintage clothes picker, right? usually i’m elbow-deep in dusty rails in *london or berlin, hunting for a perfect 70s jumpsuit. but somehow, i’m wandering around the ruins of mosul, trying to find a decent cup of tea.

it’s weirdly beautiful, though. like, heartbreakingly so. the air feels…thick. not with humidity, exactly. more like history. and dust. a lot of dust. i just checked and it’s hovering around seventeen point eight degrees celsius, which is…fine, i guess? feels a bit cooler, maybe sixteen point three, with a pressure that makes your ears pop if you think about it too hard. humidity’s low, thankfully, because i’m already sweating through my favourite silk scarf.

i’ve been staying in this tiny guesthouse run by a woman named Layla. she doesn’t speak much english, and my arabic is limited to “shukran” and “la, shukran” (thank you and no, thank you - essential for politely declining offers of strong coffee). she keeps trying to feed me dates, which are amazing, but i’m starting to feel like a date myself.

someone told me that the old city is haunted. not like, spooky ghosts, but the ghosts of memories. apparently, if you listen closely, you can hear the echoes of the market before everything changed.

i spent yesterday wandering through the ruins of the nuri mosque. it’s…well, it’s gone. mostly. just a shell of what it once was. it’s a really sobering experience. i overheard a group of university students talking about it, saying it’s a symbol of resilience, but also a reminder of what’s been lost.

finding good clothes here is…challenging. obviously. it’s not exactly a vintage shopper’s paradise. but i did stumble across a tiny shop selling embroidered textiles. the owner, a wizened old man with twinkling eyes, insisted i take a piece as a gift. he said it was “for good luck.” i think he just wanted to get rid of it, but i’m not complaining.

i’ve been relying heavily on TripAdvisor for finding places to eat. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g294008-Mosul_Nineveh_Governorate.html apparently, there’s a place called “Al-Rasheed” that does amazing kebabs. i haven’t braved it yet, but i’m thinking about it. Yelp isn’t much help here, unsurprisingly. https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Restaurants&find_loc=Mosul%2C+Iraq

i heard that the local market is the best place to find unique souvenirs, but you need to be prepared to haggle. hard. someone else warned me about pickpockets, so i’m keeping my bag firmly glued to my side.

if you get bored, erbil and duhok are just a short drive away. apparently, they’re a bit more…developed. i’m not sure i’m ready for “developed” yet. i’m kind of enjoying the chaos. it’s a good reminder that not everything has to be perfect. and sometimes, getting lost is the best way to find something new. i’ve been checking out local forums for advice too: https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=399111.

i’m starting to think i prefer this to hunting for vintage in shoreditch*. maybe. don’t tell anyone i said that. i’m also thinking i need a stronger coffee. and maybe another date.