AhlulBayt News Agency: Iraq has officially reopened the historic al-Nouri Grand Mosque in Mosul, eight years after it was destroyed by explosives planted by the so-called Islamic State (IS) group.
Originally built in the latter half of the 12th century, the mosque stood as a symbol of Mosul’s heritage for nearly 850 years.
In 2017, IS militants detonated explosives inside the mosque as they were losing control of the city during clashes with Iraqi forces.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani stated that the mosque’s reconstruction is a lasting symbol of Iraqi resilience, defending their land and rebuilding what extremists tried to erase.
He added that Iraq will continue to support cultural initiatives and promote its antiquities as a gateway to global engagement, sustainable development, and youth innovation.
The mosque was notably the site where IS declared its self-proclaimed caliphate to the world in 2014.
After Mosul’s liberation, UNESCO collaborated with Iraqi heritage and religious authorities to restore the mosque.
The reconstruction effort raised $115 million, with major contributions from the European Union and the United Arab Emirates.
UNESCO described the restoration as both an architectural challenge and a symbolic act of revival.
The first phase began in autumn 2018, focusing on demining and removing hazardous materials from the site.
Rubble was carefully sifted to recover valuable fragments for reuse in the rebuilding process.
An Egyptian architectural team won an international competition to redesign the mosque.
Their design was presented to the Iraqi public in May 2022, following a survey that showed 70% of locals wanted the original prayer hall preserved with some enhancements.
During the restoration, four rooms dating back to the 12th century—believed to be used for ablutions—were discovered beneath the mosque and integrated into the new design.
The project also included the restoration of war-damaged churches in Mosul, aiming to preserve the heritage of the city’s shrinking Christian population.
Due to IS’s brutal rule, only 20 Christian families remain in Mosul today, compared to around 50,000 in 2003.
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