Postcard from Mosul, a photo from Ninawa, North

Photographer's Note

This photo won't receive an award for best composition, and maybe it's not really a postcard, but I post it to show a glimpse of the old centre of Mosul, soon to be dragged into the battle between Iraqi government troops and the ruthless killers calling themselves the "Islamic State".

The Iraqi offensive to liberate Mosul from the IS, or Daesh, has been going on for two months but has not yet reached the central parts of the city. But sooner or later the army or its allied militias are bound to reach this street, where they may meet snipers hidden on one of these balconies or a suicide bomber somewhere in that alley behind the grocer's small stall.

I took this photo in July 1970, on my first journey outside Europe. This picture is almost unique, because I actually remember taking it, more than 46 years ago. I remember my satisfaction at being brave enough to take a photo like this without asking for permission. It was one of my first "street shots", but it was to be followed by many others.

It's not in any way a great photo, rather a typical "nothing special" shot, but I think it's quite all right for being a scan of a slide taken almost half a century ago. I think the film I used was an Agfa color CT18.

Here is a larger version.

As a workshop I will include a more touristic photo from Mosul which I have already shown here years ago.

snunney, ikeharel, papagolf21, alvaraalto, jhm, adramad, pajaran, Fis2, cornejo, worldcitizen, PaulVDV, PiotrF, mehrdad-t, danos, carlo62, ourania, mcmtanyel, COSTANTINO, clic, macjake has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

snunney (130967) 2016-12-13 2:23

Hello Gert,
One shivers to think how this street and its neighbours will end up like once the fighting is all over. Nothing special maybe, but an interesting documentary image in the light of current events.

papagolf21 (152607) 2016-12-13 2:57

Bonjour, cher Gert,
Une image très intéressante et qui remonte à 46 ans (date de notre mariage) !
Merci de nous présenter de telles images, cela permet de regarder dans le rétroviseur de la vie.
Amitiés.
Philippe

ikeharel (114499) 2016-12-13 3:00

You deserve a big award for such a photo, Gett, and I salute you with a virtual award.
46 years ago nobody had foresee the war there or any war elsewhere. It is a good documentary, evident of life in better times for that region.
The veg's vendor placed well off-center allow good view to the narrow alley. I guess a horse or a donkey was carrying this cart.
Nice complementary on the WS.
Best regards,
Ike

Tue (93340) 2016-12-13 3:36

Hello Gert,
Probably another photo of a place which looks completely different nowadays and not just because the photo was taken 46 years ago. A very nice street scene which offers a nice view into the alleyway, which, by disappearing behind the corner, makes the view more interesting. The vegetable seller is well included in the foreground.
Lars

emka (158710) 2016-12-13 4:14

hello Gert,

I remember well taking photos in July 1970. But my long trip then was to Gdansk. I can imagine your excitement to travel in Middle East when you were a young student in first trip outside Europe. Precious documentary picture. Have you bought any tomatos from this seller? original architecture of these houses with kind of balconies.

I have realized now that Mosul which I relate mainly with the fights and destruction, is so close to ancient Nineveh. Have you seen any remnants? I am so envious. I used to read books about Layard discoveries.
Not the place to see it now and see it unchanged :(.

WArm regrad s MAlgo

GyurMaster (25012) 2016-12-13 4:22

Dear Gert,

Quality-wise its really not that good, but your memories and comment makes it interesting. The struggle to photograph people without their permission is well-known by every photographer, who just started street-photography. Your remarks on snipers and other things are also interesting. I wonder if any of these houses still stand, however.

Thanks for sharing!
Gy.

alvaraalto (42804) 2016-12-13 4:55

Hello Gert
The specialty of this picture is of course not the quality of it, but the unique view of this city 46 years ago in the light of its present position. You described that exactly in your excellent note.
Old journalists will never die.
Well done
Have a nice day
Groet Rob

jmdias (116373) 2016-12-13 4:55

gert

maybe a little more at left would be more interesting with the old balconies and the vendor in evidence. anyway I guess you were pretending to be interested in another thing when in fact you wanted to show the vendor. haha.
nice shot, probably everything here no more exist, including the vendor.

hugs

jorge

BennyV (34748) 2016-12-13 5:10

Hello Gert

Applause again for posting this kind of picture. I feel jealous of you that you've visited all these places way back then. So many wonderful places in the world are off-limits through war. So much suffering and hardship.

One world.

Benny

jhm (211738) 2016-12-13 5:43

Hello Gert,

Almost fifty year ago the place of Sadam Houssin, a pity but this is also a breeding ground for people with bad ideas.
Happy that we get can see the old pictures yet two year and this pictures are history
Sharpness and clarity are nice done.
A beautiful panorama view about the area.
Very well done, TFS.

Best regards,
John.

Sergiom (117241) 2016-12-13 6:16

Bonjour Gert,

Une ville où je ne m'aventurerais pas vraiment aujourd'hui. Un beau document de la vie avant les dégâts de la guerre dans cette région. Un très bel effet d'entonnoir.

Amicalement

Serge

adramad (73414) 2016-12-13 6:22

Hi, Gert.
A fantastic image, which at the moment has much more value, because it is possible that all this does not exist or cease to exist, when the siege to the city ends, a real pity, as they are destroying both charming and monumental sites, In all these countries with arms conflicts. An image that brings us the essence of these countries.
Magnificent color, which gives great force to the image.
Very good brightness and perfect sharpness.
Well done. I like very much.
You have a good day.
Best Regards.
Luis.

rychem (72187) 2016-12-13 8:10

Hats off, so old and so beautiful picture of a very good quality, sad that we do not know if this place still exists after 46 years
regards Ryszard

pajaran (116971) 2016-12-13 8:55

Dobro vece.
Interesantan i dobar tekst ...
Dobar rad sa lepom fotografijom u radionici, lepo pokazano mesto i trenutak. Lepa fotografija i secanje na 1970. Mnogo je godina proslo, ostaju fotografije i lepe uspomene.
Prijatno vece i mirna noc, sve najbolje, srecno.
Paja.

Good evening.
Interesting and good text ...
Good work with beautiful photography workshop, shown a nice place and the moment. Beautiful photos and memories of 1970. Many years have passed, they remain beautiful photos and memories.
Good evening and peaceful night, all the best, good luck.

Fis2 (171849) 2016-12-13 9:27

Witaj Gert!
Excellent document.
Sad picture but the street is alive.
Good frame and colors.
Very impressive scene from street.
Good evening.
Krzysztof

lousat (139926) 2016-12-13 9:28

Hi Gert,2 pics showing us a disappear world because the dramatic war of these months. Old pics,not a great show as you wrote,but still very interesting.Have a nice evening and thanks,Luciano

Silvio1953 (222811) 2016-12-13 9:54

Ciao Gert, lovely composition with nice market scene, wonderful colors, excellent perspective and splendid light, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

cornejo (61504) 2016-12-13 10:27

Hello Gert, a very good photo of this interesting scene of everyday life, in a city that will soon be devastated by the war. Well composed and captured in this interesting image, with good clarity, light, color and quality. A great work perfectly done, my congratulations, my friend. Thank you for sharing this interesting work.

Good night and happy week.
All the best from the south of Spain.
Angel.

Cricri (176) 2016-12-13 10:45

Hi Gert
Un travail plus difficile sur cette ancienne image, bonne présente du marchant de fruits, les détails et les façades colorées
amitiés
cricri

worldcitizen (16226) 2016-12-13 11:24

Hello Gert,
Thanks for this glimpse into a peaceful bit of daily life in Mosul. Great quality is not necessary to convey the emotion of a time and place. This friendly man and his cart do the job just fine as they are. :-)

PaulVDV (63444) 2016-12-13 13:32

Hello Gert,

Iraq in the month of July … perhaps that man sold stewed tomatoes :)
I’m afraid that in 1970 I had not heard of Mosul. That was even long before Saddam Hussein became president or should I say dictator …
I also believe that intercontinental travel started later in Belgium than it did in Sweden.
Or maybe you were the very first Swede who made such journeys.

On the left of the photo we get to see some beautiful wooden balconies. Hopefully the current battle will not destroy too much of the city and of course there are the people longing for a decent existence.

The minarets on the picture in the workshop remind me of the mosque with the shaking minarets at the outskirts of Isfahan, Iran. Have you heard of that mosque?

Best regards, Paul

Nicou (193814) 2016-12-13 14:15

Hello

quel marchand de tomates et sa charettes ces grosses roues et la vue sur la rue quel ensemble et vue sueprbe.
Bravo et amitié
Nicou

kasianowak (17676) 2016-12-13 14:28

I obviously never got to see Mosul (as it was the first city attacked by IS, as far as I can remember) but it means a lot to me... and here is a brief story.
In October 2014 I dragged a Turkish friend of mine to the Diyarbakir bus station so he could translate my question to the driver (and his response to me): "is the bus going via the outskirts of Mosul?"
Just before the war started it was the obvious, most convenient, route from the border to Erbil, and many tourists risked taking it in spite of it being a "grey" area, technically in Iraq proper, rather than in Kurdistan.
The driver replied "no" so I boarded the bus. Had he hesitated for a moment with his answer, I would have ran away, so scared I was of continuing my trip to Iraq.
Thanks for posting this, very timely tribute to what's no longer there and the people who are dying in this terrible war.
Good night
Kasia

PiotrF (55892) 2016-12-13 15:47

Hello Gert,
A very good capture of the street from Mosul.
Excellent composition, colour and presentation be superb.
Interesting view of the minarets in workshop.
Nice presentation..
Regards
Piotr

npecanhuk (79329) 2016-12-14 2:37

Hallo Gert!
Another very interesting and attractive picture that really puts us into that scene, giving us the sense of being there and enjoying all the details surrounding us!
For me, who'll probably never go there, it's great!
TFS - congrats,
Cheers,
Neyvan

CLODO (45118) 2016-12-14 3:41

Hi Gert

We can't be an expert photographer when we begin to take pictures, and in those days, there were not photography courses to tell you the rule of the third, how to manage street photography......The sharpness is not equivalent to the one we get now on the electronic cameras, but everybody can start a story, looking at your post.
Thanks for sharing your oldies
CLODO

mehrdad-t (4812) 2016-12-14 6:35

Hello,
Superb artistic detail, a fine capture.
Great catch,
well seen.
Mehrdad

danos (110407) 2016-12-14 7:20

Hello Gert,
nice the snapshot from the old center of Mosul at the early years of '70s.In our days with the battle between the government forces and the killers of ISIS,i believe these old buildings in ruins.So it is a good documentary shot from this painful town.

regards,Danos

sacimar (38173) 2016-12-14 11:16

Hello Gert,

wow, this picture was taken almost 50 years ago, this is the great value of it, I like the presence of the man with the cart, well done,

Best regards,

Sergio

saxo042 (38078) 2016-12-14 12:17

Hej Gert,
En ännu äldre bild men lika aktuell som den förra. En mycket intressant bild. Jag tycker jag har sett extrabilden förut men förmodligen inte här på TE. Dem lutande fallossymbolen ser bekant ut.
Hälsningar
Gunnar

carlo62 (81265) 2016-12-14 15:47

Ciao Gert
i tuoi occhi (e la tua fotocamera) hanno visto molti luoghi e molte cose che probabilmente adesso non esistono più o non sono più quelle di una volta. Ancora una volta ti ringrazio per la presenza su questo sito e per farci partecipare al tuo archivio.
Saluti
Carlo

gervaso (28387) 2016-12-15 2:46

Hello, Gert!

Even without knowing this place, I always find it really interesting to see old photos of places like this. The old aspect of the houses of this narrow street looks very interesting in the image, and the fruit seller completes the scene perfectly, captured with very good light! Wonderful job!

ourania (51103) 2016-12-15 10:17

Hello Gert,
both the "touristic" picture and the ordinary street scene in the main post look extraordinary and idyllic compared to today's desperate conditions and prospects. The sunshine, the colours of the neat side street, the friendly vendor and the lovely, red tomatoes are part of a daily life that everyone misses and appreciates now that it's gone. Congratulations and thank you!
All the best, have a great evening,
Ourania

mcmtanyel (69127) 2016-12-15 19:56

Hello Gert,
You are reminding us of some sad events going on in the world. This is a nice photo of the alley with at least one house of Ottoman architecture (actually, two, the other is in ruins).
Regards,
MT

abmdsudi (95869) 2016-12-15 23:11

Hi Gert
A reworked oldie and a blast from the past but there is a strong story in there that draws you in all the way. This also provides heaps of information about the current sad situation taking place there. The muted colours are quite appropriate fitting in well with this one, as does the effect. Nicely done, Congrats
Best wishes

COSTANTINO (117700) 2016-12-18 14:01

Hello dear Gert and have a nice time
and a happy nw week
thanks for sharing with us this
impressive postcard showing the old
centre of Mosul soon to be dragged
into the battle please issue a book
with all this information
regards
Costantino

clic (76) 2016-12-20 15:32

Hello Gert An interesting view of by-then that shows some signs of architectural destitution and I want to take this opportunity for a scholarly sentence: The Iraki should throw apples to ennemies instead of bullets! Basta halsningar and Merry Christmas

macjake (98544) 2016-12-29 3:25

Hi Gert
what a blast from the past here. If only the streets could look the same today, what a shame. I was talking about the same thing with a friend recently, and she said...look at the past, look at East and West germany and look at Germany Today!

In a way she's right, probably 20 years from today, Iraq will be beautiful again and all this ISIS crap will be only a part of history.

can you guess what my favorite part of the image is???
its that sign thats crooked and about to fall to the ground, thats so cool :)

and i enjoy looking at the Valletta style green balcony too.
lots to like here, excellent post
cheers
Craig

iainsp (3298) 2017-01-06 10:59

Greetings Gert,

I have the son of a good friend who is working in Mosul at present with the refugee department of the UN. I also have an Iraqi ex-student who is currently volunteering back at our international school (he went home after graduation six months ago and his family suggested he was mad to come back from the safety of Swaziland to the insecurity that is Iraq). Ibrahim's brother is a senior member of the Iraqi National Army Special Forces and is active in Mosul.

So, no critique, just thank you for a post that touches me deeply. Iain.