The Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, Noura Bint Muhammad Al-Kaabi, participated in the meeting of the Steering Committee for the Reconstruction of the Nuri Mosque and its minaret Al-Hadba in Mosul.

During the remote meeting due to the current circumstances, the committee adopted future steps to rebuild the prominent architectural teachers of the ancient city of Mosul in Iraq. This decision was taken during the third session of the Steering Committee, which announces the beginning of the second phase of the "UNESCO" initiative "Reviving the Spirit of Mosul".

"Today's tireless work, crowned by several months of cooperation, sincerity and determination, is culminating in ensuring that we move forward together, side by side, to revive the spirit of Mosul," said Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO.

On behalf of the committee, UNESCO will launch an international architectural competition for the reconstruction of Al-Nuri Mosque. The competition will take into account the contributions of the residents of Mosul who will be invited to participate in a wide-ranging consultation on the main options related to the reconstruction of the lighthouse and the mosque. The schedule for these activities depends on the progress of the measures to address the "Covid 19" pandemic in Mosul.

The Iraqi Minister of Culture, Abdul Amir Al-Hamdani, mentioned that Al-Nouri Mosque is a cultural wealth and an archaeological and historical edifice.

The project, supported by the Emirates, aims to restore and rebuild the historical monuments of the city of Mosul, especially the Al-Nuri Mosque and its famous oblique minaret known as Al-Manara Al-Hadba, which is 45 meters high and over 840 years old. However, this historic and distinctive structure was demolished by the extremists who occupied the city from 2014 to 2017.

"We have come a long way since we envisioned the project, and this progress could not have been achieved without the tireless efforts of the Technical Committee and the Steering Committee," she said, noting that the Nuri Mosque represents a historical and cultural wealth.

The committee adopted future steps to rebuild prominent architectural teachers in Mosul.