BAGHDAD: Iraq’s prime minister presided over the official reopening of the historic Al-Nuri Grand Mosque and its leaning minaret in the heart of Mosul’s Old City on Monday, eight years after the mosque was destroyed by Daesh militants.
For some 850 years, the leaning minaret of the mosque stood as an iconic landmark. The militant group destroyed the mosque by detonating explosives inside the structures as it faced defeat in a battle with Iraqi military forces for control of the city in 2017.
UNESCO, the UN’s scientific, educational and cultural organization, worked alongside Iraqi heritage and Sunni religious authorities to reconstruct the minaret using traditional techniques and materials salvaged from the rubble. UNESCO raised $115 million for the reconstruction project, with large shares coming from the UAE and the EU.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani said in a statement that the reconstruction of the mosque “will remain a milestone, reminding all enemies of the heroism of Iraqis, their defense of their land, and their rebuilding of everything destroyed by those who want to obscure the truth.”
“We will continue our support for culture, and efforts to highlight Iraqi antiquities, as a social necessity, a gateway to our country for the world, an opportunity for sustainable development, and a space for youth to innovate,” he said.
