Reconstruction Is Almost Complete, Jami Al Nuri Mosque In Iraq Destroyed By ISIS Will Open At The End Of The Year

JAKARTA - The famous Mosque of Jami Al Nuri in Mosul, Iraq and destroyed by ISIS in 2017, will reopen by the end of this year, as part of a major UN project to restore some of the country's most historic religious sites.

The mosque, known for its tilted tower, is one of the oldest landmarks in Mosul, where the leader of the Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi terrorist group proclaimed caliphate in 2014. The group took the group in 2017 when government forces reclaimed the city.

"Our goal is to complete the entire Al Nuri Mosque including the tower at the end of the fall of this year," Maria Rita Acetoso, senior UNESCO project manager in Iraq told The National News, as quoted March 20.

Acestoso said the project, which was launched in 2018, has now "finished the structural parts of mosques and towers. We have completed the dome consolidation. Now, what we are doing is working in parallel in the prayer hall and prayer area."

The structural reconstruction of the mosque complex has been completed, he said. However, the tower is tilted and the final touch has not been completed.

Fighting to clean up Mosul from ISIS fighters lasted nearly nine months, causing most of the city's territory to collapse, killing thousands of civilians and displaced more than 900.000 people.

To ensure that the dimensions, thickness and pattern of the bricks are the same as those used to make towers before ISIS takes over, UNESCO uses a "fit brick manufacturer that can get the bricks we want based on the mechanical characteristics of the original bricks we have. sent to the Mosul University laboratory for testing," Acetoso said.

The UNESCO project, called 'Relive the Spirit of Mosul', is mostly funded by the United Arab Emirates which donated $50 million to restore the Jami Al Nuri Mosque complex, as well as two nearby churches, Al Saaa and Al Tahera.

This project is part of its support for the city's post-ISIS reconstruction. It has provided 3,000 jobs for local residents in Mosul since its start. This was later expanded to include restoration of Al Saaa and Al Tahera Churches.

The province was devastated after three years of ISIS occupation which ended in 2017, when Iraqi forces backed by US-led coalition airstrikes expelled them.

Mosul and the surrounding plains were once home to one of the oldest Christian communities in the region. Al Saa'a's reconstruction has been completed, and the church held its first mass in January 2024.

Built towards the end of the 19th century by Catholic priests from the Dominican Order, this church has an important meaning to the history and heritage of the city's architecture and is a symbol of coexistence in the country.

"The official handover is not yet known, we are just waiting for the provincial order to confirm when the focal points that are currently not deployed in Iraq can actually travel so that we can get the key back to the Dominican Order," said Acetoso.

The construction of the 800-year-old Al Tahera Church has also been completed, Acetoso continued, with several final touches to be completed in June this year.