Speaking from Mosul after the reopening of its historic sites on Monday, Unesco’s Qu Xing told The National that after six years of reconstruction, “valuable lessons for heritage-led recovery can certainly be replicated” in war-torn areas.
Unesco's project, called Revive the Spirit of Mosul, included the rebuilding of Al Nuri mosque, its leaning Al Hadba minaret, which featured on Iraq's 10,000 dinar note, and two historic churches, Al Tahera and Al Saa’a.
“When I see Al Hadba minaret standing tall once more, reconstructed with stones carefully recovered from its collapse, and the churches of Al Saa’a and Al Tahera revived, restored with the participation of both Muslim and Christian communities, what appears is not just heritage restored, but proof of the resilience of a people determined to preserve their shared history,” said Mr Qu, Unesco's deputy director general.
“This is a lesson for the world,” he said, as he visited the sites on behalf of Unesco's chief Audrey Azoulay.
Al Nuri Mosque is one of Mosul's oldest landmarks, known for its leaning minaret nicknamed the “hunchback”, which dates to the 12th century. Mosul and the surrounding plains of Nineveh were once home to one of the region's oldest Christian and Muslim communities.
“It is with great emotion that I bear witness to these six years of reconstruction," Mr Qu said. "We feel humbled and we came to Mosul with a strong sense of humility."
Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, was the second in the country to fall into the hands of ISIS, after Fallujah, during the terrorists' takeover of 2014-2017. Mosul was the biggest city in Iraq to fall to the extremists.
It was from the pulpit of Al Nuri Mosque that ISIS declared its self-proclaimed "caliphate” in parts of Iraq and Syria in mid-2014. The terrorist group blew up Al Hadba minaret in June 2017 as they retreated from the last urban stronghold they held for almost three years of a ruinous war with US-backed Iraqi forces.
Mr Qu said Monday’s inauguration featured Iraqi officials such as Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani and senior international figures coming together to “celebrate the rebirth of Mosul’s most cherished landmarks”.
“It will be a day of pride, remembrance and unity, and a powerful affirmation that culture and heritage, when nurtured collectively, can be drivers of peace and reconciliation,” Mr Qu said.
Unesco deputy director general
He described the event as “an occasion to acknowledge the generosity of our international partners – including the United Arab Emirates, the European Union, and other donors – whose support made this achievement possible”.
The UAE has been a pivotal partner in the initiative, providing $50 million. The EU and others also contributed adding the total raised funds to more than $115 million in support of the restoration of the famous landmarks as well as 124 heritage houses of Mosul’s Old City.
“Together, these efforts have not only restored monuments of historical and spiritual importance, but also rebuilt trust, pride and hope in Mosul,” Mr Qu said.
Future hope
Under the project 7,700 local jobs were created and 2,800 young Iraqis trained in traditional crafts and technical skills.
Mr Qu said: “Through community dialogues, the thousands of jobs created and the training given to thousands more, we can simply summarise this major initiative: it was a project of Mosul, for the people of Mosul, by the people of Mosul.”
The inauguration is not an end for Unesco’s work in Iraq but instead “marks a new beginning”, he added.
“Unesco will continue to work with Iraq to safeguard its cultural heritage – whether through further restoration in Mosul, protecting archaeological sites, or supporting museums and archives.”
Mr Qu said Iraqi experts are also now “better equipped to share the lessons from Mosul with the world and support other countries, who shall benefit from the experience of Iraq”.
