Heritage destruction and reconstruction in Mosul

Posted on October 10, 2022 (October 11, 2022) by ICOM Admin

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Five years have passed since Daesh suffered its defeat in Iraq. During the jihadist occupation, part of Daesh’s strategy was to erase any trace of the history of other cultures, so the cultural, artistic and architectural heritage of Iraq suffered consecutive destruction.

Among many other destructions, the attacks on the mosque of Al-Nuri, in Mosul, known for its leaning minaret, were particularly symbolic. In addition to the mosque, dozens of sculptures belonging to the Assyrian civilisation were destroyed with sledgehammers and drills, as were several giants in the Iraqi city of Nineveh. The aim was not the physical death of the opponent, but his spiritual liquidation.

Recently, the works of restoration and critical reconstruction of the mosque and its minaret have started, under the UNESCO program “Revive the Spirit of Mosul”. They also hope to rebuild historical houses, open spaces, historic gardens, churches and schools. Just some days ago, thanks to this program, the ancient ruins of the city of Hatra in northern Iraq reopened to dozens of visitors who came for the first time in years to admire the historic ruins.

Read the original article (in Spanish)

Photo credit: Audrey Azoulay, director of UNESCO, presents the exhibition “Revive the Spirit of Mosul”.