[1] Bash Tapia Castle played an important role in the siege of Mosul during the Ottoman–Persian War of 1743–1746.

The Pasha of Mosul, Hajji Hossein Al Jalili, successfully defended the city, and the siege was lifted on 23 October of the same year.

[4][5] The castle was a landmark and a symbol of Mosul's identity,[6] and it was popular with tourists from other parts of Iraq and neighbouring countries.

The city of Mosul was captured by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant on 10 June 2014, and Bash Tapia Castle was damaged in the subsequent fighting.

[9] According to reports by the Iraqi Ministry of Tourism, the castle was blown up by ISIL in April 2015, making it one of many heritage sites destroyed by that group.