Landmarks in Iraq’s Mosul are reopening after UNESCO-led restoration

For over 850 years, the leaning minaret of the Great Mosque of al-Nuri stood as a defining symbol of Mosul – until it was reduced to rubble by the Islamic State group in 2017.

Now, nearly eight years after IS militants were driven out, the minaret has been rebuilt as part of a sweeping, internationally funded restoration effort aimed at reviving the historic city.

For locals of Mosul, the minaret’s restoration is deeply personal. Saad Muhammed Jarjees, a lifelong Mosul resident, says the minaret was once a constant presence outside his window. He watched it stand through years of conflict – until one morning, it was gone.

“During the Islamic State occupation, I would look at it every morning and see their flag flying on top,” he recalls. “We longed for the day that flag would come down – it would mean we were liberated. Then one morning, we woke up to find the entire minaret gone.”

“The Al-Hadbaa Minaret is one of the most symbolic sites for the people of Mosul, and today this symbol is completely brought back to life,” said Ruwaid Allayla, Director of the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage.

The difficulties of rebuilding a site damaged by war

The reconstruction of the Al-Hadbaa Minaret was a painstaking process led by UNESCO in collaboration with Iraqi heritage and Sunni religious authorities, using traditional techniques and materials salvaged from the rubble.

“The heritage authority ensured the use of original materials for reconstruction to preserve its exceptional value and authenticity and keep it on UNESCO’s World Heritage list,” Allayla said.

Site engineer Omar Taqa described the immense challenges, from clearing war debris to meticulously separating artefacts from the rubble. The team also needed to conduct detailed engineering and historical studies to design a site that would preserve the essence of the original, he said.

On a visit to the city on Wednesday, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay toured the minaret and the al-Nuri Mosque and other restored sites including the al-Hadbaa Minaret and the al-Tahira and al-Sa’aa churches.

“This intervention in a post-conflict environment was unprecedented in its complexity,” she said. “80% of the Old City had been destroyed. When our first team arrived on-site in 2018, they were faced with a field of ruins.”

Other historic landmarks being restored

The reconstruction effort extends beyond the mosque. Mosul’s Christian sites, also devastated by IS, are being restored in parallel.

Before 2003, the city was home to around 50,000 Christians. Many fled when IS seized control in 2014, and today, fewer than 20 Christian families remain as permanent residents.

Originally opened in 1862 in the heart of Mosul’s Old City, Al-Tahira Church was severely damaged during the city’s occupation by ISIS in 2017. The roof collapsed, large parts of the arcades were destroyed, and significant portions of the external walls were reduced to rubble.

At the newly restored church, Mar Benedictus Younan Hanno, Archbishop of Mosul for Syriac Catholics, said the reconstruction is about more than just buildings.

“The main goal of rebuilding churches today is to revive the history that our ancestors lived,” Hanno said. “When Mosul Christians come to this church, they remember the place where they got educated and baptised, and the place where they prayed. This could possibly give them an incentive to return.”

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UNESCO Director Azoulay echoed this sentiment, pointing to the significance of hearing church bells ring once again in Mosul: “It sends the message that the city is returning to its true identity, which is a plural identity. It’s a very important sign of hope that this church was rebuilt by Iraqi people, mostly Muslims, who are happy to restore it for this community.”

An official reopening at the Great Mosque of al-Nuri is set to take place in the coming weeks, with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani expected to attend.