Al-Saa’a Church (Conventual Church of Our Lady of the Hour) dominated the Mosul Skyline, side by side with other architectural landmarks and minarets. Its destruction has been more than an architectural tragedy, it has affected the people of Mosul, Muslims and Christians alike, to their core.
Five years after the liberation of Mosul, the casting of three new bells comes as a sign of hope, especially for the Christian communities of the Middle East. It is also a new critical step in the reconstruction process of the flagship programme “Revive the spirit of Mosul”, led by UNESCO in cooperation with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Gabriel, Michael, Raphael are the latest newborn bells of the artisanal foundry in Villedieu-les-Poêles Cornille Havard, in Normandy, France, marking a milestone in UNESCO’s reconstruction work in Mosul, Iraq. They are named after the three main Christian archangels, and will soon echo in the streets in Mosul, from the top of the Al-Saa’a Church, partially destroyed by violent extremism and war.
Their journey from Normandy to Mosul is expected to take place early March 2023.
This is also a testimony of strong mutual assistance between France and Iraq, dating back to the 19th century. The construction of Al-Saa’a Church was first completed in 1873 and the clock of the church was a gift from France to Iraq built in 1882.
Today, two centuries later, in an act of continuous solidarity, France expresses its support once more through the donation and creation of these bells using its unique knowledge and craftsmanship from the Normandy region, where people know too well about the ravage of wars and the power of freedom.
The Cornille Havard foundry is the heir to a long tradition of bell foundries established in Villedieu-les-Poêles since the end of the Middle Ages. The workshop was established in1865 and has a rare know-how only shared by 30 other foundries world-wide. With each bell they cast, they create a piece of art and a music instrument tuned to a specific note. In the workshop, about 15 craftsmen, carrying nine centuries of traditions and ancestral knowledge and using modern technologies, create about 100 bells per year for churches in countries around the world.
UNESCO’s flagship initiative “Revive the Spirit of Mosul” was launched in 2018. It is UNESCO’s most ambitious reconstruction campaign in recent decades. It is based on three pillars: heritage, cultural life and education, as essential drivers for the recovery of Mosul. More than $105 million has already been mobilized, thanks to the support of 15 international partners, in particular the United Arab Emirates and the European Union.
Set in the heart of the meandering streets of the Old City of Mosul, the clock tower of the Church dominates the city’s skyline along with the leaning Al-Hadba Minaret of the Al-Nouri Mosque. Over the years, it became an orientation point, its roots tangled with the life and history of every Mosuli, from every confession. The clock system worked together with the bells making them ring every 15 minutes. The reconstruction of the Church, currently in progress, is set to be finalized in December 2023.
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