BAGHDAD — Since its takeover of the city of Mosul two years ago, the Islamic State has been destroying dozens of statues, friezes, manuscripts and other artifacts that date back several millennia, according to archeologists and residents.Now, as Iraqi forces move closer to recapturing Mosul, archeologists and exiled residents are bracing themselves for what they will find left of an illustrious past that is deeply embedded in the city's identity.
