MOSUL, Iraq — Al-Nuri Mosque in the heart of the Old City of Mosul was destroyed during the ISIS conflict and is set to be rebuilt, but locals are concerned that there will be no one to fill the space.
"They want to rebuild the mosque. There are no more houses. Only a few of families have returned. Who will go to pray? Five participants!" said resident Omar Abdulqadir.
He says before rebuilding the mosque it has to be cleared of any bombs.
"Where is the government to compensate the people to remove the [war] remnants and to remove the bombs? There are still corpses of ISIS fighters under the ruins," Abdulqadir implored.
He has lost one of his sons by a hidden bomb in the ruins.
The United Arab Emirates and UNICEF has devoted $50 million in coordination with the Iraqi government to rebuild the iconic Sunni mosque.
ISIS detonated the mosque and Al-Hadba Minaret in the final days of the fight for the Old City on the right bank of West Mosul in June 2017.
""I had lots of memories here. That garden was a place for religious ceremonies. They were prayed there. Like the Tarawih prayers during Ramadan and many other things," Muhanat Hazim, a local university professor, explained.
Muhanat has prayed there since he was 7.
"But the situation is very sorrowful. We lost many things. I hope that the government and the people have a role to rebuild it. Until now there are obstacles [to rebuild it]," said Hazim.
The ruins are now full of stray dogs. Children use the courtyard as a playground.
Nuri mosque is in the heart of Sunni Muslims. It was first built from 1170-1180 CE.
Reporting by Hunar Ahmed