The Iraqi city of Mosul lays in ruins. A three-year campaign by the Iraqi army and international forces managed to push ISIS out of the country it tried to take over in 2014. But it came at a huge cost. Thousands were killed and by some estimates 40 per cent of Iraqi’s famed Golden Division counter terrorism officers died as they fought street to street, house to house in Mosul. There is an estimated 8 million tonnes of rubble in Mosul, the remnants of a fierce fight with heavy weapons. In the final push to liberate the old city, ISIS blew up the famed Al Nuri Mosque. The mosque had stood since the 12 century, withstanding the rise and fall of nations and countless invasions. On April 23, 2018, the UAE pledged more than $50 million (Dh183m) to rebuild Al Nuri mosque, working with Unesco and the Iraqi government to complete the project. Host James Haines-Young speaks to Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, about the reconstruction of Al Nuri Mosque and its famous leaning minaret. _______________ Read more:
