UNESCO to hand over restored Al-Nouri Mosque during Ramadan

Shafaq News/ The restored Al-Nouri Great Mosque in Mosul will be handed over to Iraq’s Sunni Endowment Directorate during the holy month of Ramadan, UNESCO announced on Saturday.

“Work on the iconic Al-Hadba Minaret has been fully completed, while the Mosque’s restoration is in its final stages,” Rakan Al-Allaf, UNESCO’s supervisor in Mosul, told Shafaq News.

Al-Allaf emphasized that the restoration maintained historical authenticity, with the Al-Hadba Minaret rebuilt using original materials and dimensions. “The Mosque’s prayer hall, courtyards, and gardens have also been completed, ensuring structural resilience against future imbalances or earthquakes,” he said.

“This reconstruction, which is funded by a UAE grant, also includes the restoration of Al-Tahera and Al-Saa’a churches,” UNESCO’s supervisor explained, clarifying that a European Union grant also financed 143 heritage-style homes in Mosul’s Old City, and the rehabilitation of Al-Ekhlass school, Al-Aghawat Mosque, and traditional alleyways, alongside projects in education, skill development, counter-extremism, and social coexistence.

On Feb. 6, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay visited Mosul, marking progress in the “Reviving the Spirit of Mosul” initiative, launched to restore the city’s cultural heritage after its devastation during the battle against ISIS in 2017.

Unforgettable mission to #Mosul this week to thank the men and women who contributed to @UNESCO's reconstruction projects. Seven years after the fall of Daesh, the spirit of this multicultural city is back. pic.twitter.com/QBGnh4QMGG

— Audrey Azoulay (@AAzoulay) February 7, 2025