Mosul, Iraq:
The inclusive minaret of Mosul in northern Iraq has been restored using its original brick, years after the rubble was reduced under the rule of the Islamic State Group. MINARET AL-HADBB or “Huffack” is part of the historic al-nuri mosque from where the old is the boss Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in July 2014 declared his “caliphate” who committed atrocities in stripes of both Syria and Iraq.
The mosque and the minaret were destroyed in June 2017 during the battle to expel Mosul, and the Iraq authorities accused the jihadists of explosive planting before their withdrawal.
The minaret and the mosque are the last reference points in Mosul that will be restored by the United Nations Heritage Agency, UNESCO, whose teams have worked for five years to relive several sites there.
Today’s mine is an exact replica of the old one, “built with the same bricks,” said Abdullah Mahmoud of the Iraqi antique department.
“Al-Hadba is our identity, and when restoring it, the identity of the city has been claimed.”
The restored minaret inclination has been retained at 160 centimeters (63 inches), as in the 1960s.
However, engineers have reinforced the foundations, so it no longer leans with as much precargy, as it began to do it gradually after being built in the twelfth century.
“The body of the minaret from the inside needed 96,000 new bricks,” Mahmoud said.
“But for the outside we use 26,000 old bricks” to preserve its historical legacy.
‘Mass change’
Days before the work was completed, hundreds of workers gave the final touches to the columns, Dome and Yard of Al-Nuri. Mahmoud said that the Mihrab, a niche that indicates the direction of Mecca, has been largely repaired using its original stones. But the minbar, from where the sermons are delivered, has lost most of its original pieces.
On the other side of the street, Imad Zaki, an ancient Muezzin in the mosque, said: “Every day I stay here for an hour to see how their original state is restored.”
“Today one can feel spirituality. It is as if our souls had finally found peace,” added the 52 -year -old man, with a long and traditional Iraqi Abaya or tunic.
The eighty percent of Mosul’s old city was destroyed in the fight against IS, and more than 12,000 tons of debris were eliminated for the Unesco restoration project, which also included Al-Tahira and our churches of the time of the time of the time The hour and 124 heritage houses.
The Al-Tahira church, dating from 1862, has been rebuilt with its arcades, adorned pillars and windows of stained glass.
During the restoration, the workers discovered an underground cellar and large bottles once used for wine. Now he has a glass roof so that visitors can look inside.
Maria Aceoso, senior manager of Iraq UNESCO projects, said the project aimed to “work in parallel in significant monuments for the city and also to return life” to Mosul.
“When I got here in 2019 it looked like a ghost city,” said Acetoso. “In five more years, there has been a massive change.”
In Mosul on Wednesday, the Unesco chief, Audrey Azoulay, praised the efforts of his team and said that the renewal had allowed “the identity of the city” to return.
Battle scars
After he defeated, life returned to the streets of the city, where the talk of customers in small coffees mixed with the noise of construction work in the mosque. In the coming weeks, the Iraqi authorities will open the restored reference points.
But Mosul still carries scars of the fierce fight against is.
Hidden in the narrow alleys of the old city there are houses in ruins. Some carry the word “safe” jacket in red on the walls, indicating that they have been clear of explosives.
Crumbled walls and shattered windows tell displacement stories. Its original owners, mostly Christians, have not yet returned.
Mohammed Kassem, 59, returned to the old city a few years ago, to a new house, since his old house was only rubble.
Mosul still “needs a lot” work before he returns to normal, he said.
“He needs their former residents … Christians return. This is their place,” Kassem added.
On the other side of the street of the Al-Nuri Mosque, Saad Mohammed, 65, said he expected restoration efforts to attract visitors to Mosul, although he still feels sad about what he has lost.
But he couldn’t help smiling when he looked at minarete from his small store.
“We opened the window once and saw that the black is flag at the top of the mine.
“Today the mine has increased again, along with the mosque and the churches. Now we feel safe,” he said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a feed union).
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