Iraqi adventurer cycles from Belgium to Mosul in 73 days, plans Baghdad finish

MOSUL — Iraqi adventurer Mustafa Gulab, 30, arrived in Mosul this week after cycling from Belgium through more than 10 countries in 73 days, a journey he says will conclude in Baghdad but serve as the launchpad for bigger plans.

“I started from Belgium, passing through the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, then Greece and Turkey, until I reached great Iraq,” Gulab told 964media.

He said it took 71 days to reach Iraq’s border and two more to arrive in Mosul, with Baghdad set as his next destination. “After this adventure there are plans for bigger ones, but my main problem is that I am looking for a sponsor, because the next adventure will change the concept of adventure in the Arab world, not only in Iraq,” he said.

Gulab, who spent 20 years in Baghdad and 10 in Belgium, said one of his goals is to encourage young Iraqis to pursue their dreams. “Adventure is not just riding a bicycle. It is a challenge to yourself, an insistence on making your dream a reality,” he said.

He described the hardships of the trip, including climbing mountains more than 1,300 meters high, often spending six to seven hours on a single crossing. “With the bicycle it was very exhausting,” he said, adding that producing his own videos and riding alone meant little sleep.

Arriving in Mosul, he said he was surprised by the scale of reconstruction. “I thought Mosul was still suffering from destruction after the war, but I was surprised by what I saw. Two years ago I visited, and it was destroyed. Now it’s completely different,” he said.

He recounted being greeted by a young Mosul cyclist 30 kilometers outside the city and said he stayed an extra day after receiving many invitations from residents.

“The supportive messages I received pushed me to continue until I reached Mosul,” he said.