SAMARRA, Iraq — Driving from Baghdad to Samarra in Salahuddin province, 60 kilometers (37 miles) north of Baghdad, has been safer since the Iraqi forces managed on Nov. 25, 2014, to secure the road that links the two cities. Islamic State (IS) militants had controlled the road since June 11, 2014, when they took control of a number of regions in Salahuddin, most notably the city of Tikrit, the center of the province.

Al-Monitor visited Samarra and its famous 171-foot-tall Malwiya Minaret. The Great Mosque of Samarra and its spiral tower that is set on a square base were built in 852.

When approaching the Malwiya Minaret, significant changes to the surrounding area were noted by Al-Monitor's correspondent, who had also visited the site in 1979. Intensified security measures and military fortifications are now seen on site. Ali Hassan, a fighter with the Popular Mobilization Units, told Al-Monitor, “Members of the Popular Mobilization Units protect the site from a possible attack by IS.”

Hassan accompanied Al-Monitor up the spiral staircase of the minaret. Signs of neglect were obvious and no guide was present at the site. In fact, anyone can climb unsupervised to the top of the minaret.