UNESCO, Germany to restore Al Aghawat Mosque in Mosul
The United Nation's educational, scientific and cultural agency has signed an agreement with Germany to restore Al Aghawat Mosque in Mosul in efforts to rehabilitate the war-torn city after a three year occupation of ISIS.
UNESCO partnered with the Iraqi government last year as the coordinator to rebuild some of the city's most famous landmarks that were destroyed by urban warfare between the insurgents and the Iraqi forces during nine months of fighting for the city that ended in July 2017.
UNESCO has vowed to restore the city’s heartbeat, diversity and history, while directing its educational programs towards combat extremism.
Its Mosul plan includes restoring the library of Mosul University, two churches, the city’s market and a Yazidi temple.
The Federal Foreign Office is supporting the stabilization, reconstruction and restoration of the mosque complex through its Cultural Preservation Program.
The project is being carried out in close cooperation with UNESCO, with the Federal Foreign Office providing funding of 450,000 euros until 2021 for the reconstruction.
During a visit to Iraq in December 2018, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said, “Following the war and conflict, a new phase is starting in Iraq, and it is important that the Iraqi population can also see this.”
