"Shanashel" is about to disappear because of the wars

Iraq repairs the rest of the mashrabiyas of Mosul homes

Mashrabiyas are an architectural feature of the rich Islamic culture in Medina.

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After the shanashel disappeared, or nearly disappeared, as a result of the wars, Iraq is currently implementing a project to restore the remaining shanashel (mashrabiyas) with their distinctive traditional designs that are among the architectural features of the rich Islamic culture, especially in Mosul homes, with the help of the United States Agency for International Development and local organizations. Non governmental.

The Iraqi term "Shanashel" refers to large wooden façades that connect to the balconies of buildings, and are often carved with traditional Islamic inscriptions.

The director of the Mosul Buildings Rehabilitation Project, Khaled Ghanem, said: “Mosul houses are famous for the abundance of Mosul hooks, and their lifespan extends to 250 years, and they are often inside the old areas, but the wars that rained down on them took a large part of the destruction of these heritage homes.”

When the terrorist organization "ISIS" seized large areas of Iraq in 2014 and imposed its own rule, many cities, towns and villages, including Mosul, which the organization declared the capital of the caliphate that it unilaterally declared, turned into rubble.

After the liberation of Mosul in 2017, many traditional buildings and their historic shackles were discovered demolished.

Artist-grade workers are now restoring the spirit to these buildings and shawls as part of a restoration or rehabilitation project for the buildings in Mosul.

Ghanem added, "We tried to preserve the old design, the old exterior, without any additions, but with this it put a fingerprint, the artists' fingerprint, because all of the workers ... are plastic artists who have a reputation in this field."

So far, the project has carried out restoration operations for 10 balconies connected to shanasil, and it aims to restore more of them in the future.

Falah Hassan, a resident of Mosul, expressed his happiness with the restoration project, telling Reuters TV: “We were so happy.

"It has become a touch, a touch with Mosul, especially the old region, which means pleasure in it. This is from civilization, meaning civilization, even if it is history, but this is our civilization.

Khaled Ghanem:

"Some mashrabiyas have a lifespan of up to 250 years, and are often inside the old areas."

10

Balconies attached to hooks, restored by the project, which seeks more in the future.

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