"كتيّب بلاد الرافدين. المجلد III. ١٩١٧" [‎٣‎٦‎٣] (٤٣٢/٣٧٢)

MOSUL
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garrison, and partly, apparently, as a cattle market. At the end of
the road, about f m. from the city gate, are the barracks and
Government offices, and the residences of the Vali and other officials.
The post and telegraph offices lie on the road somewhat nearer to
the town.
The streets of Mosul are narrow, undrained lanes, winding
between blank house walls. A few of the streets are paved with
stones, which make very slippery going. The houses are built of
sun-dried bricks or of stone (' Mosul marble ') set in gypsum cement.
Little wood is used in their construction. The larger houses are
built round a courtyard, into which the rooms and a hall open.
They usually have serdahs, or underground rooms, for use in the hot
weather. The number of houses has been estimated at 12,000.
There are numerous mosques and several large khans. The bazaars
are held in booths in the streets. About the middle of the river
front, not far above the bridge, is an old citadel. The church of the
French Dominican Mission is marked on a plan of 1873 as slightly
W. of the centre of the town.
Mosul is not an attractive place; it is insanitary and dirty, with
a bad climate and smoky atmosphere. The smoke comes from the
gypsum kilns. The most unpleasant quarter appears to be a cluster
of some 300 houses near the river, which serves as abattoir, tannery,
and dye-works for the whole town. In 1906 it was stated that the
Government had twice endeavoured to abolish this quarter, but on
both occasions the attempt had provoked a riot.
Climate and Hygiene. —The climate of Mosul is very trying in the
summer. The worst part of the hot weather is from July to
September, when the thermometer may go as high as 120° F. in
the day, and not fall below 95° at night. Hot winds blow in from
the desert. Even in May a temperature of 100° may be looked for,
and the cool season does not begin till November. In the cool
weather, which is also the rainy season, the nights are often frosty.
(See chapter on Climate, vol. i, and accompanying tables.)
Owing to the glare and the dust, the amount of which is appreciably
increased by the numerous kilns and pounding mills in which gypsum
is worked, ophthalmia is common, and tuberculosis is said to be
terribly prevalent'. Cholera, on the other hand, is not common,
though its existence has been suspected. Visitations of plague are
reported. Mosul has its 1 boilfrom which few who reside there
long escape ; it is said to be not distinguishable from the Baghdad
date-mark'. Almost all travellers comment on the filthy and
insanitary conditions of the place; which, in the opinion of one
observer, call for the abandonment of the site and the building