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THE CITY I LOVE | Mosul, Iraq
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Apr 29, 2025
This is my journey into Mosul, IRAQ as a tourist in 2020. I hope this changes your view on what the city is really like. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsjaypalfrey/ Thank you to my amazing Patreons for supporting this channel :) Become a Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=24492598 Abdullatif, Abdurahman, Anila, Aysh, Fauzi, Halit, Hannah, J Benyamin, Kaynat, Maha, Mariam, Mohammed, Muna, Niyasha, Rose, Salma, Sara, Sarah. A, Sarah. M, M7mdalsa7an, Mohammad A, Diana, and a massive thankyou to: KHALED A, NUERY, HERI, HATEM, ALI, YAMAN, HUSSAIN, KHALID H, SAIF, AYMAN, USMAN :) Useful Links: AIR BNB DISCOUNT: https://www.airbnb.co.uk/c/jayp3509?c... 2 months free Skillshare: skillshare.eqcm.net/jaypalfreytravel
View Video Transcript
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Hi guys, it's Jay and in this video it is my journey to Mosul, Iraq in 2020. All of the things
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I put into this vlog I believe are important for you to see. So please, before you start watching
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please commit to watching the entire thing or not at all because my story and my journey takes very
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different directions and I want you to have the entire picture of my story and my journey in Mosul
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This journey was incredibly difficult, one of the hardest journeys I've ever taken
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as a traveller but also one of the most valuable and life-changing experiences I've ever had
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I also just want to remind you that I am a traveller, a one-time visitor. I am not a politician
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nor am I making a political commentary with this video. This is just a video showing my journey
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as a foreign tourist in Mosul, Iraq in September 2020. My journey started from Abil in Kurdistan across four high security checkpoints into Mosul City
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For the entire journey my nerves were pretty high and I wasn't sure if I'd actually make it into the city
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Thankfully I did and I was not expecting what first greeted me in this incredible city
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so i'm here on my way into the city and thankfully nothing ever happened to this incredible masterpiece
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this is the mosel mosque i've never seen anything like this before fighting all around me happened
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you can see buildings absolutely flattened in front of me but thank god nothing ever happened
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to this this is absolutely beautiful to give you some context behind this vlog mosa was a battleground for three long years between
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many key forces isis or the islamic state versus iraqi forces and other forces from around the
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world for those years all i remember seeing is news reports of airstrikes guns and families
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having to flee, leaving everything behind and running for their lives to save them and
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their children. Today, it is just over three years after Mosul was liberated and ISIS were
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forced from Iraq's second largest city. And this is how my journey started, across the
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Tigris River, into the west of the city. Thank you No Music Music Music Music Music Music It's
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really hard to find the right words in the midst of just this profound devastation
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there are still kids running around still smiling and Oh my God
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All around this area is just evidence of continuous bombardment from airstrikes
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The majority of the houses here are flattened. There are cars that obviously have been hit by airstrikes, just thrown against walls
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This is all that remains of this village
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a place which once would have been bustling with life with children going to school
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learning, preparing for their incredible bright future with parents happy to wake up every morning and it's just hello
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and it's just Throughout my time I saw United Nations signs across from Iraqi flags and a city being rebuilt And I think this is the first time in my entire life I actually been happy to hear drilling
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It's such an incredible feeling knowing the people here have been building. There is the biggest mosque in Mosul and
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when ISIS came and took over this city they took over the mosque and the head of ISIS actually gave
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his first opening speech in this mosque when ISIS obviously were pushed out of the city and Moses
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was liberated. UNESCO and the United Nations actually have come here to save the history of
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this place because it's one of the most important historical significance in this city so
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it's so amazing to see it being helped and being rebuilt and yeah
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Mosul is one of the oldest cities in the world and it's filled with beautiful mosques across
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from beautiful churches. A city in which everybody is celebrated. In the middle of all of this a falafel and full restaurant. Of course I had to get something
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So here in the Middle East, Ful is incredibly famous and here in Mosul I had to get some
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It looks absolutely amazing. Wow, it's really, really good
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Okay, halas with the good food. Let's head over to the eastern side so I can show you the incredible markets here in the city
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It's full of an amazing busy market with so many street food sellers, so many clothes, so many markets and it's absolutely
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amazing. All the people here are so kind and so friendly and it's great to see
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In the middle of this busy local market, a coffee shop. Wow, it smells really good
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Sugar. No, sugar. Wow it's really good
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Of course you know me, coffee is one of my favourite things and I had to bring some with me
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Now, every time I sip my coffee I can remember the beautiful people of Mosul
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A little further down the market I was quickly welcomed to see how this local bread is made This is amazing
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Here in the local market in Mosul, they are selling anything from fresh fruit and vegetables
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Clothes, toys and gold. Yes, gold. Row after row of stores selling gold in Mosul
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As humans, safety is a right we all deserve, right? As humans, love and hope are the two main reasons why we stay alive
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Thank you. Yes, there was a huge wedding I was blessed enough to witness
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And here in the five-star Grand Palace, huge parties are taking place
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to celebrate university graduates, birthdays and other amazing occasions filled with people whose smiles could not get any bigger
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The path is amazing. I cannot even begin to imagine what the people of Mosul went through
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I cannot begin to imagine what they saw, what they felt. No matter our political views, we all deserve to be safe
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and to feel safe in our own home. Mosul is being rebuilt
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and I cannot wait to revisit to experience more of this rich, cultured and kind city
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And that was my experience being a tourist in Mosul, Iraq in September 2020
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I really hope I taught you something new. Please remember that things don't make a place
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people do and the people of Mosul are just incredible thank you so much for
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watching stay safe stay happy and I'll see you in the next video
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