Iraq's Hamams: Once IS mass execution sites, now being restored as mineral spa
A mineral spa in northern Iraq
A mineral spa in northern Iraq is regaining popularity as renovation work has brought back visitors, to 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, are 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, as reported by AFP.
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.
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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. 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.
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.
(with inputs from agencies)
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