The Spatial Dimension of Rebel Governance: The Islamic State’s Production of Social Space in Mosul (2014–2017)

This article examines the spatial dimension of the Islamic State’s governance in Mosul between 2014 and 2017. Drawing on Henri Lefebvre’s concept of the production of social space, it argues that the group governed not only within space, but through it. Based on primary materials, it conceptualizes Islamic State rule as a process of destroying, transforming and producing social space. These processes disrupted identities and practices, reshaped everyday life, and inscribed authority and ideology onto the city. By foregrounding social space, the article contributes to rebel governance literature and shows that space is a medium of power in conflict settings.