Mosul’s iconic Al Nouri mosque and Al Hadba minaret will be reconstructed by a team involving ICCROM and UNESCO, in a five-year project funded by the United Arab Emirates. This news was announced in a press conference by HE Noura Al Kaabi, UAE Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, who has pledged US$ 50.4 million to support the initiative.
ICCROM will be involved in the project through its Regional Office in Sharjah, as member of the steering and technical committees in addition to providing technical conservation expertise. Other committee members include the Emirati and Iraqi Ministries of Culture, UNESCO, the Iraqi Sunni Endowment, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
Al Kaabi said at the signing ceremony, “We carry a message of peace and humanity and we are committed to cooperating with and supporting Iraq.”
Audrey Azoulay, the Director-General of UNESCO, has welcomed the partnership: “This is a historic partnership, the largest and unprecedented cooperation to rebuild cultural heritage in Iraq ever.”
The Great Mosque of Al Nouri, famed for its leaning minaret, was built in the late 12th century. It is notable as the place where the Islamic State caliphate was declared in 2014 by its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Three years later, Islamic State forces blew up the mosque as they were being dislodged from Mosul by advancing Iraqi forces.
GREAT NEWS!
The United Arab Emirates, @UNESCO and Iraq conclude historic $50m partnership to reconstruct Mosul’s al-Nouri Mosque & al-Hadba Minaret
ℹ️ https://t.co/wwuBpGZTKm #RevivetheSpiritofMosul #unite4heritage pic.twitter.com/NtDbPRzVeG
— UNESCO (@UNESCO) 23 April 2018