On Wednesday, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay visited Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, to witness the achievements and landmarks that have been rebuilt after the devastation inflicted by the Islamic State (IS) group. She toured the historic Al-Nuri Mosque and its famed leaning minaret, Al-Hadba, which have been reconstructed identically, brick by brick. Azoulay also visited the Al-Tahira Church and the Church of Our Lady.
"Today, Mosul is once again becoming the beacon of hope it should never have ceased to be, a model of how to rebuild through the power of culture and education, in Iraq and elsewhere," said Azoulay, according to Arab News.
"It's as if history is back, as if the identity of the city is back," said Azoulay.
"If you take the example of the reconstruction of the minaret, it was necessary to reuse nearly 45,000 original bricks," noted Azoulay, according to RTBF.
"The revival of Mosul is an act of founding, a symbol for the entire Iraq and even beyond," said Azoulay, as reported by Tages-Anzeiger.
"When the reconstruction teams arrived in Mosul in 2018, they found a field of rubble," said Azoulay, according to Tages-Anzeiger. "80 percent of the old town had been destroyed," she explained.
The official inauguration of the reconstructed sites in Mosul will take place at a later date by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani. The reconstruction efforts have cost over 140 million euros, supported by UNESCO, the Iraqi government, the United Arab Emirates, and the European Union. Since 2018, UNESCO, with the help of partners, has invested around 110 million euros in the restoration of historical sites and culture in Mosul. According to Tages-Anzeiger, the majority of the work in Mosul's historic old town was financed by the United Arab Emirates and the European Union.
UNESCO teams have worked for five years to revive several sites in Mosul. The motto of the reconstruction project is "Reviving the Spirit of Mosul." The restoration work has provided 6,000 job opportunities and has allowed the city to recover its "identity" after the destruction inflicted by the IS group.
Among the reconstructed landmarks is the Al-Hadba Minaret, nicknamed "the hunchback" by locals because it was slightly tilted. The minaret, a symbol of Mosul's identity, was reduced to rubble under IS rule but has been painstakingly reassembled using nearly 45,000 original bricks salvaged from the debris. "The people of Mosul wanted it tilted," said Azoulay, according to Arab News.
The mosque and minaret were destroyed in June 2017 during the battle to oust IS from Mosul. The Iraqi army accused IS of placing explosives in the Al-Nuri Mosque, a jewel of the old city, during the battle to retake Mosul.
In addition to the Al-Nuri Mosque, the Syriac Catholic Al-Tahira Church and the Hour Church "Our Lady" have been rebuilt. A total of 124 heritage houses have been restored in Mosul. The restoration work also included the Al-Saa'a Convent, known as the Hour Monastery, an important religious, cultural, and social meeting place. Three new bells were installed in the convent, made in a foundry in Normandy, France.
The IS fighters were not deterred by UNESCO World Heritage status and destroyed ancient cities such as Hatra and Nineveh. They began destroying monuments, churches, and mosques in conquered areas of Iraq and Syria in the fall of 2014, including numerous archaeological sites. The IS attempted to destroy the diverse way of life in Mosul.
Between 2016 and 2017, Iraqi forces, with the support of the international coalition, recaptured Mosul from the IS group, which had brought the city under its control in 2014. The IS was considered militarily defeated but remained active with an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 fighters and carried out attacks.
"The IS tried to erase the history of the city and replace it with its own narrative, which glorified its extremist ideology and demonized all others," wrote Omar Mohammed, a historian from Mosul who researches at George Washington University in the USA, according to Süddeutsche Zeitung. He stated that IS wanted to create "a blank slate."
"It gives the people a good feeling when they are involved," stated Anas Zeyad Abdulmalek, the construction manager, on the UNESCO website, according to Focus Online. "Ninety-four percent of those surveyed wanted the minaret back—exactly where it stood, and exactly as it looked: with the same decorations, with the same tilt," added Abdulmalek.
While progress has been made, the city still requires time, funding, and workforce to fully rebuild its infrastructure. There are plans to build many public parks and squares in Mosul, as well as the largest new hospital in the region, Ibn Sina University Hospital, which is crucial for the city's recovery. A spokesman for the Iraqi Ministry of Transport stated to the news agency Ina that Mosul International Airport is expected to be reopened this year.
This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq
