First prayers at Al Nuri Mosque in Mosul

Public prayers are held for the first time since the reopening of Al Nuri Mosque in Iraq's second city

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  Al Nuri Mosque Mosul aerial view. Ismael Adnan for The National

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  Public prayers are held for the first time since the reopening of Al Nuri Mosque in Iraq's second city

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  Worshippers flocked to pray at the mosque, which was destroyed by retreating ISIS fighters in 2017 and painstakingly rebuilt

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  Standing tall once more, Al Hadba minaret was reconstructed with stones carefully recovered after its collapse

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  Mosul was the biggest city in Iraq to fall into the hands of ISIS extremists

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  But those memories became ever more distant as public prayers were held

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  The UAE was a pivotal partner in Mosul's rebuilding project, providing $50 million to the cause

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  Mosul is now once again proud of its mosque, after it had laid in ruins for several years