'Symbol of Hope': Mosul's Iconic Al-Hadba Minaret Restored

IQNA – The iconic al-Hadba minaret in Iraq's northern city of Mosul, which was destroyed by the Deash terrorist group in 2017, has been restored by UNESCO.

The minaret, which is part of the historic al-Nuri Mosque, was reopened in a ceremony on Wednesday.

"We are here by the minaret of al-Hadba - one of the most iconic monuments of the Arab world and of the world in general. We know of the horrors that took place here and now it is a symbol of hope, of a better future. And soon we will have an official reopening," said Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO director-general, during the ceremony.

The UN agency has invested millions of dollars in the project, although the mosque itself is yet to be fully restored.

Abdulqadir al-Dakhil, Nineveh governor, announced that a larger ceremony will be held in spring to celebrate the full restoration of the minaret.

"Thank God, what you are seeing today is the restoration of the towering al-Hadba minaret with its tilt. God willing, next spring the prime minister will be present at this site with the attendance of UNESCO and a large number of Arab officials, the European Union, and Arab countries. The call for prayer (adhan) will sound from al-Hadba minaret, and prayer will be held at the al-Nuri mosque. The message is that Nineveh is back again," he told Rudaw.

The rise of Daesh in Iraq began in 2014 when the terrorist group seized control of Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city. It had then captured swathes of territory in Iraq and neighboring Syria. At its peak, it held about a third of Syria and 40 percent of Iraq, imposing a series of draconian laws on its people.

International efforts to Iraq and Syria confront the group succeeded and Iraq's former Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared the end of military operations against Daesh in the Arab country on December 9, 2017.

Al-Abadi had formally declared victory over Daesh in Mosul, the de facto capital of the extremist group's self-declared caliphate on July 10 that year.

The subsequent years have seen extensive efforts to rebuild and restore the war-torn city, with UNESCO playing a crucial role in reviving Mosul's cultural heritage.

Source: Agencies