VENICE, Italy — The United Nations’ cultural agency has opened an exhibit detailing plans to restore multicultural landmarks in the Iraqi city of Mosul, underlining the role of architecture in helping heal wounds.
The exhibit, “Revive the Spirit of Mosul,” is being displayed on the sidelines of the 17th International Architecture Exhibition, which opened Saturday after a one-year pandemic delay under the title, “How will we live together?” This question resonates in particular in Iraq, which is experiencing turbulent change, and in Mosul, where 80% of monuments were destroyed by extremists during the city’s 36-month occupation by the Islamic State militant group.
The UNESCO exhibit unveils the project for restoring Al-Nouri Mosque, built in the 12th century and once famous for its leaning minaret. Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared an Islamic caliphate from the mosque in 2014, and extremists blew it up in 2017 as Iraqi forces closed in.
The new Al-Nouri Mosque will be nearly identical to the old one to the casual eye, though the prayer hall will contain more natural light and enlarged areas for women and VIPs. The plan also aims to enhance the role of the mosque’s central courtyard as an urban hub for the old city.
Work to stabilize the sites began in 2020.
UNESCO’s $50 million project to revive Mosul was announced in 2018 and is funded by the United Arab Emirates.