The images of this jewel of the 12the century destroyed with explosives had gone around the world. The Al-Nouri mosque, with its famous minaret called Al-Hadba (“the Hunchback”), reduced to ashes in June 2017 by the jihadists of the Islamic State (IS) organization, in the city of Mosul, in the north of Iraq now has its reconstruction plan, unveiled Thursday April 15 by Unesco. Work is due to start in December 2021 and last until at least 2030.
The UN organization, which oversees the reconstruction of this symbol of the old city of Mosul, taken from the hands of the jihadists in July 2017, announced a major international architectural competition in November 2020. “A strong signal of resilience and hope, then declared the Director General of Unesco, Audrey Azoulay. As a first step towards social cohesion and reconciliation in post-conflict Iraq. “ A wishful thinking. The selected project, that of a team of Egyptian architects, already has its detractors, who judge it “Too modern”.
Al-Hadba will keep the leaning shape that has made its reputation through the centuries, in accordance with the choice of Mosuliotes questioned during a consultation, conducted by the University of Mosul, on the style of the future minaret. The prayer hall of the mosque will also be rebuilt “Almost identical”, promises Salah El Din Samir Hareedy, at the head of the team of architects selected by the jury. “Only minor improvements will be made to the mosque to enlarge it, confirms this architect from Alexandria. It was the condition sine qua non to enter the competition. There shouldn’t be any major visual impact. ”
“Center of civilization”
This is not the case with the spaces surrounding the mosque, which are the focus of criticism. An alignment of buildings in cubes and gardens designed according to the first images made public by Unesco, in a contemporary style, far removed from the architectural canons of an old Islamic city. “The whole philosophy of our project is based on the idea that Al-Nouri should no longer just be a religious building. We will make it a center of civilization for Mosul and for all of Iraq, describes Mr. Hareedy, reached by phone. Un place to bring together Iraqi society, with an art school and cultural events. “
“This is an opportunity that we have no choice but to seize”, judge, enthusiastic, Omar Mohammed, known for having maintained the Mosul Eye blog during the occupation of Mosul by the IS. “With this project, the real estate prices around the mosque will be worth twice as much, it will revive the whole city, hopes the historian, who is also a Unesco consultant for the reconstruction in progress. Soon the greatness of Mosul will be restored, it will no longer be just a small town, but a center that matters to the future. “
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