. Earth Science News .
IRAQ WARS
Troubled waters: Iraqi spa reborn after IS massacres
By Mohammad Salim
Hamam Al-Alil, Iraq (AFP) July 10, 2022

A mineral spa in northern Iraq is regaining popularity as renovation work has brought back visitors, in a city once ruled by jihadists who carried out mass executions.

Hisham Khaled often visited the Hamam al-Alil baths as a child with his father but since the facility's restoration he comes alone.

His father, a policeman, was executed near the baths by the Islamic State (IS) group in 2016.

Located 30 kilometres (20 miles) south of Mosul, Hamam al-Alil -- meaning the baths of the sick in Arabic -- built a solid reputation over decades with its therapeutic sulphurous waters.

But the spa and surrounding village, which shares the same name, is now also known for massacres committed by IS during its occupation of the area.

"I lost the people who were dearest to me," says Khaled, 21, sitting shirtless and in his underpants near the spa's circular pool.

His father, a police colonel, was among hundreds of local officers rounded up and executed by IS. Their bodies were discovered in November 2016 in a mass grave close to an agricultural college in the village.

"It pains my heart. My father and I used to come to the baths together. Now he's gone and I've come here alone," adds the 21-year-old father of twins.

- Rebuilding -

Like other parts of the Mosul area, the slow pace of reconstruction, five years after the jihadists were driven out, leaves locals frustrated.

But last month's reopening of the baths, on the banks of the Tigris River, contributes to a return to normality, even if the scars of conflict remain.

Khaled is now a masseur at the spa and bathes regularly. He says the sulphur-rich waters have cured him of an allergy and dermatological problems.

In its newly tiled rooms, men and children enjoy a moment of therapeutic relaxation for 5,000 dinars ($3).

In underpants or shorts they fill tubs with green, hot spring water, pouring it over their heads and then vigorously rubbing their bodies -- despite the nauseating smell characteristic of sulphur.

An old man exits his wheelchair and bathes in the waters, doing stretching exercises with his arms.

The resort, built in 1984, accommodates between 75 and 100 people, with men and women using separate areas.

On surrounding sidewalks, makeshift stalls sell plastic bottles filled with sulphurous mud.

Salam Adel Hassan has made the trip from Baghdad and says he first visited the spa 20 years ago.

"The spa was very rudimentary, not like now. The renovations are a success, I'm delighted," the 30-year-old says with a smile.

"My brother has psoriasis. He couldn't come. I'm going to take him water and mud," he says.

After the defeat of IS in 2017, the baths remained popular although the building had fallen into disrepair, with chipped tiles and broken windows.

In 2019, authorities undertook renovation work costing $500,000.

Construction materials were carefully selected to resist wear and oxidation caused by sulphurous waters, says Ahmed Aziz Ahmed, an employee at the spa.

"The day after the inauguration, we began to receive groups of visitors from all the provinces" of Iraq, he says.

Families originally from Mosul but now living abroad have come, as have British and German tourists, he adds.

- Mass grave -

In late 2016, months before being driven out of Mosul by the Iraqi army and a US-led international coalition, IS rounded up and executed hundreds of people.

The bodies of some of the victims were initially found dumped in the open among garbage, leading investigators to the mass grave estimated to hold "the bodies of at least 300 former local police officers", Human Rights Watch said at the time.

Today, local officials denounce the slow pace of identifying the bodies as DNA testing is still underway.

The jihadists "worked at night, they executed them and buried them with a bulldozer", explains Ahmed, the spa employee.


Related Links
Iraq: The first technology war of the 21st century


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


IRAQ WARS
Former student held after two Iraq professors killed
Arbil, Iraq (AFP) June 28, 2022
Two Iraqi university professors were gunned down in the Kurdish regional capital Arbil on Tuesday prompting the arrest of a disgruntled former student, authorities said. Shootings as a means of settling scores are far from rare in Iraq - its legacy of war and sectarian conflict mean the country's 40 million people count some 7.6 million firearms, according to figures from the Small Arms Survey. A Soran University engineering professor was shot dead in his home in the early hours, and the dean ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

IRAQ WARS
Fires at Beirut silos spark memory of deadly port blast

US gun regulation agency fills empty director post after seven years

China asks UN Security Council for ban on small arms to Haiti: diplomats

Eight children trapped after Colombia landslide buries school: officials

IRAQ WARS
SIRI-2 to qualify technologies for radiation detection in space

Researchers use quantum-inspired approach to increase lidar resolution

MDA awarded contract by York Space Systems

A programming language for hardware accelerators

IRAQ WARS
US VP Harris launches Pacific push with new embassies, envoy

Troubled waters: Iraqi spa reborn after IS massacres

Vulnerable Pacific islands call for 'urgent, immediate' action on climate

New research finds deep-sea mining noise pollution will stretch hundreds of miles

IRAQ WARS
Stronger overturning circulation in the Pacific during the last glacial period

NASA Ice Scientists Take Flight from Greenland to Study Melting Arctic Ice

Death toll climbs to 11 in Italy glacier collapse

'In the mouth of dragons': Melting glaciers threaten Pakistan's north

IRAQ WARS
Russia and Ukraine address grain crisis in first talks since March

Desert-grown superfood puts 'healthy' burgers on UAE menus

DataFarming bringing Pixxel's hyperspectral imaging to Australian farmers

Pakistan's prized mango harvest hit by water scarcity

IRAQ WARS
Germans demand change a year on from deadly floods

Flood anniversary prompts sadness and soul-searching in Germany

Pilgrimage in Indian Kashmir resumes as many missing from floods

Heavy rains flood villages in Russia's climate-hit Far East

IRAQ WARS
Togo army behind blast that killed 7

Burkina Faso's Damiba calls for 'unity' against jihadists

Ethiopia holds first meeting of peace committee

One dead in attack on Chinese-owned firm in DR Congo

IRAQ WARS
White children are more likely to be overdiagnosed and overtreated for ADHD

Experts developing wearable technology to support women to remain active as they age

Why it is so hard for women to have a baby

Connectivity of language areas unique in the human brain









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.