UNESCO launches reconstruction of Mosul minaret and two churches destroyed during war

The reconstruction of a minaret in Mosul, in northern Iraq, destroyed in 2017 during the fighting against the Islamic State (IS) group, as well as two churches, will begin in March, announced UNESCO.

In January, local antiquities officials announced the discovery of the foundations of a Muslim prayer hall dating from the 12th century during excavations in the basement of the Al-Nuri Mosque, where Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, then head of the IS, had proclaimed the establishment of its "caliphate" during its only public appearance, in June 2014. The mosque and the minaret, nicknamed by the inhabitants

(Al-Hadba) had been destroyed in June 2017 , the Iraqi army accusing the IS of having placed explosives there.

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"After three years of intensive preparatory work, the reconstruction of the Al-Hadba minaret and the Al-Saa'a

(Our Lady of the Hour, editor's note)

, indicated in a press release from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco).

This joint announcement by UNESCO and the United Arab Emirates, which are funding the restoration of the minaret, mosque and two churches, follows a visit to the site this week by UNESCO's Assistant Director-General for Culture, Ernesto Ottone Ramirez.

In March

he said, quoted in the text.

As for the Al-Nouri mosque, the launch of the works is planned

, the whole thing to be completed by the end of 2023, an executive from the

told AFP on Wednesday .

organization.

, he added, referring to the project launched in 2018 by the organization to rebuild the second city. of Iraq, after four years under the thumb of the jihadists.

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In addition to the restoration of these monuments for an amount of 50 million dollars, the project includes in particular the reconstruction of 122 historic houses in the old town, with support from the European Union of 38.5 million, of which around 60 will be completed in March during the visit of the director of Unesco, according to the same source.

," welcomed this executive.

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The length of the preparatory work is explained both by the necessities of

, then the laborious clearing process, according to the text.

It was not only a question of removing debris, but also of sorting out from the rubble

, underlines Unesco.