After the coalition forces pounded the old city of Mosul to kill the last of Daesh fighters in Iraq in 2017, heaps of rubble and countless dead bodies were all that was left of this historic place.
"The intensity of fighting for the liberation of the city is something we haven't seen since the Second World War. That explains the situation a lot," said Louise Haxthausen, head of Unesco in Iraq, who is now tasked with rebuilding the city and its cultural heritage sites.
The ambitious project, Haxthausen said, has many challenges, including the fluid security situation.
"Around 50 to 80 per cent of the old city is completely destroyed. It is incomparable to anything," Haxthausen told Khaleej Times.
Though Unesco with its mandate for culture and heritage, gives a particularly strong focus to the old city in Mosul, Haxthausen said there are several landmarks and heritage sites that lay in ruins in Mosul.
"Let us not forget, there are other heritage sites, churches, synagogues, beautiful private houses that got destroyed in Mosul. The key educational institutes, like the University of Mosul, which are not in the old city, suffered extensive damage. Several of its faculties have been destroyed. The library with thousands of books got burnt. Many of Mosul's archeological sites dating from pre-Islamic times were destroyed. We have our hands full in Mosul."
The security situation in Mosul is also a big challenge for the Unesco team in Iraq. "The security is improving and is more stable now. We go there often. But of course, there is always a risk that something may happen," said the official.
A fillip to the project has come in the form of UAE's partnership with Unesco and Iraq to rebuild Mosul. The UAE's engagement in spearheading the reconstruction of the 800-year old Al Nuri Mosque and Al Hadba minaret in the old city has put international limelight on the need to rebuild the spirit of Mosul, according to Haxthuasen.
"The Minister of Culture in the UAE is playing a fantastic role in mobilising the international community. The engagement of the UAE is proving to be the mother of international support for the revival of Mosul," added Haxthausen.
She said the project is more than just symbolic as it would allow her team to start the complete implementation on the ground with all the key stakeholders.
The official was in the UAE on Friday to take part in the first steering committee meeting of the project chaired by UAE's Minister of Culture, Noora Al Kaabi.
In April this year, the UAE Government pledged to fund the rebuilding project of the mosque, which is estimated to cost $50.4 million.
Message of hope
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Al Kaabi said rebuilding of the mosque is more than just reconstructing an old religious landmark. "There is a message behind such a project. The UAE is a country of hope, of tolerance of co-existence. And we share the same values with our Iraqi brothers and sisters. That is the basis of why we are forging such a partnership with Iraq."
The minister said the steering committee meeting will discuss the time frame of the project, and how they are going to proceed in the next 12 months, starting with the removal of the rubble.
"Hopefully, we will be able to visit and take pictures of this beautiful mosque in the next five years," said Al Kaabi.
The minister said the project is also aimed at creating 1,000 jobs for the local people, an idea that resonates with the Unesco's rebuilding plans for Mosul.
Establishing a good dialogue with the local population and empowering and engaging them in the project is crucial in rebuilding the city, according to Giovanni Fontana Antonelli, senior consultant at Unesco in Iraq.
"We aim to involve the urban youth in the old city as our partners, our labour force and allies, first to protect the project and then rebuild it. Considering the socio-economic scenario, it is important to involve the local community and work with them," he said.
by Anjana Sankar
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