Shafaq News/ Four years have passed since ISIS blew up al-Hadba Minaret at the Great Mosque of al-Nuri in the Mosul Old City, and yet it is still a pile of rubble unlike any kind of reconstruction.
On June 21st of every year, the people of Mosul commemorate al-Hadba Minaret, a part of Mosul's identity and had been one of its most prominent landmarks for centuries.
Since ISIS bombed the Minaret in 2017, the Mosque and its Minaret have been neglected despite UNESCO's adoption of its reconstruction with financial support from the UAE and a 50 million dollar grant to preserve and restore this heritage landmark.
UNESCO laid the foundation stone for the reconstruction in 2018 and was anticipated to Finish in five years, with the first steps in reconstruction being collecting, isolating, and storing the Minaret's scattered stones for preservation.
Last year, UNESCO launched a new design competition to rebuild the Mosque and the surrounding area. After announcing the winner design, it was heavily lambasted by Mosul's archaeologists.
Dr. Ahmed Qassem Juma, a specialist in Islamic history, told Shafaq News agency that he has many reservations about the new designs, including the use of modern materials in construction, instead of limestone, which will change the features of architecture as well as the style of the buildings surrounding the Mosque, especially the school, "we must rebuild with the same old details without making any changes to preserve it."
Dr. Maysoon Thanoon Al-Abayji, director of the Center for Studies at Mosul University, said that the Center has one demand from UNESCO, which is to rebuild with the same old details to preserve the historical identity of this place.
Nevertheless, reconstructing the Mosque and its Minaret has been stalled since the announcement of the design competition to this day.
The representative of Nineveh Antiquities Inspectorate overseeing the reconstruction work, Musab Muhammad, told Shafaq News Agency that they had no clear role in choosing the winning design. Mohammed also said that they had many objections, and they wrote an official letter to the Ministry of Culture and Antiquities that included all the details regarding the matter.
The Great Mosque of Al-Nuri and its Minaret are of great importance to the residents of Mosul. They consider the place their historical identity as confirmed by Mudhar Ahmed, a resident of Hamam Al-Manqusha neighborhood, who said that he suffers a lot whenever he catches a glimpse of the Mosque and its Minaret, "Reconstructing Al-Hadba Minaret is long overdue and this historic place does not deserve to be neglected. I hope to see both the Minaret and the Mosque reconstructed with the same old details."
The Great Mosque of Al-Nuri dates back to the 6th century A.H., and it was the second Mosque to be built in Mosul after the Umayyad Mosque. It was built by the Ottoman governor, Noureddine Zanki. Al-Hadba Minaret was famous for its clear tilt and distinctive building style, which kept it steadfast for nearly nine centuries until it was ceased to rubble by the last war.
