In Mosul, Three Monuments Come Back to Life

In September 2025, Mosul inaugurated the restored Al-Nouri Mosque complex, Al-Saa’a Convent and Al-Tahera Church with UNESCO. The simultaneous rebirth of these Muslim and Christian landmarks reflects a shared heritage and a reconstruction effort driven by local residents.

Three landmarks reopened on the same day

The three monuments were inaugurated on September 1, 2025. The Al-Nouri complex includes the celebrated mosque and its leaning Al-Hadba minaret. The Dominican Al-Saa’a Convent, built in the nineteenth century, is known for its clock tower. Al-Tahera Church is part of the heritage of the Syriac Catholic community.

Their shared reopening has special significance in a city scarred by war and destruction. It restores places of worship and gathering associated with several traditions. The ceremonies brought together Iraqi officials, religious representatives, international partners and residents.

The Ziggurat of Ur, a historic brick monument in Iraq — Restoring Iraqi heritage passes on skills while recreating places of community life. Here, the Ziggurat of Ur. Photo: حسن / Unsplash.

Rebuilding with local skills

UNESCO’s “Revive the Spirit of Mosul” initiative, launched in 2018, went beyond restoring façades. According to the organization, it created more than 7,700 local jobs and trained over 2,800 young Iraqis in restoration trades. Consultations also allowed residents to express their expectations, particularly for the Al-Hadba minaret.

The programme mobilized more than US$115 million. The United Arab Emirates contributed US$50.4 million to the three sites inaugurated. The European Union supported other aspects of urban rehabilitation, training and education in the old city.

Heritage as a starting point

Restoring a monument cannot by itself resolve the social and economic consequences of conflict. Neighbourhoods still need housing, services, economic activity and conditions that allow families to return permanently. Maintaining the buildings will also require ongoing expertise and funding.

The project nevertheless shows that heritage can become a focus for cooperation rather than merely a memory. Craftspeople found work, young professionals learned a trade, and several communities recovered places that belong to them. In Mosul, culture is not only preserving the past; it is helping the city rebuild relationships.

Restoration also has an everyday dimension. A church or mosque fully returns to life only when residents can use, maintain and pass it on. Skills learned on these worksites can serve other homes, streets and monuments in the old city. They are a living heritage made of gestures as well as stones. A revival in cultural tourism could support additional jobs, provided residents’ needs are respected. The most durable result may be this renewed local ability to repair, tell the story of and inhabit a neighbourhood long associated with destruction. Future projects can build on these skills instead of starting entirely from outside.