Eight Egyptian architects to rebuild historic Al-Nuri Mosque in Mosul
A proposal by eight Egyptian architects has won the international competition for the reconstruction of the historic Al-Nuri Mosque complex in the Iraqi city of Mosul, one of the main components of the ambitious project for the rehabilitation of its historic old city led by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
The project foresees the reconstruction of the historic Al-Nuri prayer hall and the organic integration of the complex into its urban environment through open public spaces with five entry points from the surrounding streets.
The mosque complex is the largest public space in the old city of Mosul, one of the hardest hit by the war that began in March 2003 when US troops invaded the country.
The prayer hall will look as it did before the mosque's 2017 destruction and will feature notable improvements in the use of natural light and the expansion of spaces for women and dignitaries, which will be connected to the main hall through a semi-covered open structure that could also serve as an open space for prayer.
The winning project also envisages the creation of enclosed gardens reminiscent of the historic houses and gardens that were located around the prayer hall prior to its redevelopment in 1944.
"The reconstruction of the Al-Nuri mosque complex, a historic site that is part of the fabric and history of Mosul, will represent a milestone in the process of advancing reconciliation and social cohesion in the war-torn city," said the UN agency's director-general, Audrey Azoulay.
She added that "heritage sites and historic monuments are powerful catalysts for people's sense of belonging, community and identity. They are essential to rekindle the spirit of Mosul and Iraq as a whole."
Selected from 123 entries, the winning design is called a 'Courtyard Dialogue' and was submitted by a team of eight Egyptian architects: four partners and four designers.
The partners are Salah El Din Samir Hareedy, team leader, Khaled Farid El-Deeb, Sherif Farag Ebrahim and Tarek Ali Mohamed. And the design team includes architects Noha Mansour Ryan, Hager Abdel Ghani Gad, Mahmoud Saad Gamal and Yusra Muhamed El-Baha.
The winners, experienced architects with a notable track record in heritage rehabilitation, urban planning and climate-adapted architecture, will now develop a more detailed design for the reconstruction of the Al-Nuri Complex, with a view to starting construction in the last quarter of 2021.
Upon learning of their victory, the architectural team issued a statement welcoming the results of the competition: "Our team has worked with great passion to present a project that responds primarily to the need for social cohesion and the revival of souls. We look forward to completing the design and assisting in the renaissance of Mosul's Old City."
For her part, Nura bint Mohamed al-Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth of the UAE, which will fund the reconstruction, said: "Reaching this important milestone has brought us closer to realising a shared commitment to restoring social cohesion and the spirit of brotherhood and tolerance in Mosul once again."
In 2018, the UAE took the lead and joined UNESCO "in this historic effort, inspired by the history and legacy of Mosul and the resilience and strength of its people," the minister added.
Recreation of the architectural design to rebuild the Al-Nuri mosque complex in the Iraqi city of Mosul.
The winning design will receive a $50,000 prize and will be awarded the contract for the detailed design of the complex. The runner-up, a team led by architects Avneesh Tiwari and Gurjit Singh Matharoo of India, will receive a $30,000 prize; followed by a third prize of $20,000 to be awarded to the team led by Francisco Javier Maroto Ramos of Spain; a fourth prize of $15,000 to a project from the United States; and a fifth prize of $10,000 to a team of architects from the United Arab Emirates, France, Turkey and Lebanon.
The international design competition for the Reconstruction and Rehabilitation of the Al-Nuri complex in Mosul was launched in November 2020 by UNESCO. The competition was prepared in close coordination with the Iraqi Ministry of Culture and the Iraqi Sunni Fund, supported by the United Arab Emirates, all members of the project's Joint Steering Committee.
This project is part of UNESCO's flagship initiative 'Reviving the Spirit of Mosul', which was launched in 2018 and includes the rehabilitation of the historic fabric of the Old City of Mosul, the revival of the city's cultural life and the strengthening of its system.
The Joint Steering Committee of the international architectural competition project for the Al-Nuri Complex required contestants to preserve the parts of the prayer hall that survived the 2017 destruction and integrate them into the new buildings.
It also required the rehabilitation of the historic buildings as part of the new landscaped site. By creating new dedicated community spaces - for educational, social and cultural activities - the project will serve the people of Mosul in ways that go beyond its primary religious function.