The Bash Tapia Castle, also known as Bashtabiya castle or Pashtabia castle, is a ruined fortress from the 12th century built on the right bank of the Tigris forming part of the historic city walls of Mosul in Iraq.
The ruins of the castle were an important archaeological site as they were one of the few surviving parts of Mosul’s walls. The castle was a landmark and a symbol of Mosul’s identity. The Pashtabiya Castle is also famed for its role in withstanding the siege of the Persian leader Nadir Shah in 1744. Bash Tapia Castle, was built in the 12th century as one of the seven castles within Mosul’s city walls. The ruins are situated on the north side of the shrine of Imam Yahya, near o the thirteenth-century palatial remnants of Qara Saray. The fortress sits atop a network of underground passages, with two primary gates; one leading to the west, and the other leading down to the Tigris. Once a key strategic asset, the castle was damaged by Timur in 1393 and was later on rebuilt by the Ottoman Empire. It was again partially destroyed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in April 2015.