With new pieces unearthed recently amid Al Nuri Mosque's reconstruction, efforts to restore a centuries-old gate in Iraq's Mosul have intensified, raising hopes of regaining a lost chapter of the city. All photos: Sunni Waqf
ISIS militants blew up Al Nuri Mosque’s famous leaning minaret in June 2017 as they retreated from the last urban stronghold they held for almost three years of ruinous war
In 2018, the Unesco launched an initiative partly funded by UAE to reconstruct the site
The UAE donated $50.4 million, out of the total $115 million mobilised for the project, to restore Al Nuri Mosque and its Al Hadba minaret, as well as two churches in the city
In February, the Unesco celebrated the completion of the restoration of the leaning 45-metre minaret as well as two nearby churches as part of the Revive the Spirit of Mosul initiative
More than 90 per cent of the complex has been restored and handed over to Sunni Waqf
The restored complex radiates serenity and grandeur
The gardens are lush with manicured lawns and flowers
Artefacts discovered at the site during reconstruction have been put on public display
Al Nuri Mosque was built by Seljuk ruler Nureddin Al Zinki in 1172
It is one of Mosul's most treasured heritage sites
The mihrab, a niche indicating the direction of Makkah, has been repaired using its original stones
