Every evening as the sun sets, Jungle Street comes vibrantly alive. Festooned with colourful electric lights, this leafy strip of a Mosul suburb in Iraq running alongside the banks of the River Tigris is lined with brightly lit cafes, shisha bars and restaurants. Two photographers wait beside an illuminated fountain, a popular spot for newlyweds to pose for photographs, and families usher excited children towards fairgrounds filled with colourful rides.
Behind the trees, an expansive restaurant tiers down the riverbank, overlooking the Tigris and a jetty where families in trendy attire and colourful hijabs queue for boat rides on pristine, cheerfully illuminated boats. The pop music pumping out of one small speedboat is drowned out by screams of excitement when it performs sharp turns in the river.
Iraq: Mosul rebrands as domestic tourist destination | Middle East Eye
