03:37Iraq's Nineveh province inaugurated the restored Umayyad Mosque, also known as the Masfi Mosque, in Mosul on Thursday, days ahead of Ramadan and nearly a decade after the Islamic State group first seized the city.
Footage shows the opening ceremony with Muslim and Christian clerics and officials, before locals performed the first joint prayers at the mosque.
"This mosque, which was destroyed by the terrorist [group] ISIS who removed many parts of it, was subject to many appeals by the people of Mosul to restore this mosque to its original state," explained Ali Obaid, head of the General Authority for Antiquities and Heritage. "We succeeded in approaching the international community, specifically AlIPH organisation to allocate the necessary funds for the reconstruction of this mosque."
The building was rebuilt by the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH), in collaboration with the Iraqi Ministry of Culture.
"It is a beautiful initiative to reopen the mosque, to distinguish Ramadan this year by hosting Taraweeh prayers," said local resident Abeer Al-Ghanim. "Hopefully, this opening may contribute to the revival of the area."
The mosque, the first built in the city and the fifth in the Islamic world, was founded around 638 CE, with the current building dating back to the 19th century. It was heavily damaged after ISIS took control of the city in 2014, before the group was driven out again by Iraqi forces in 2017.
The building, located on the western side of Old Mosul is close to Bashtabiya Castle and the Tigris River.
Umayyad Mosque reopens nearly 10 years after IS first seized Mosul
Iraq's Nineveh province inaugurated the restored Umayyad Mosque, also known as the Masfi Mosque, in Mosul on Thursday, days ahead of Ramadan and nearly a decade after the Islamic State group first seized the city.
Footage shows the opening ceremony with Muslim and Christian clerics and officials, before locals performed the first joint prayers at the mosque.
"This mosque, which was destroyed by the terrorist [group] ISIS who removed many parts of it, was subject to many appeals by the people of Mosul to restore this mosque to its original state," explained Ali Obaid, head of the General Authority for Antiquities and Heritage. "We succeeded in approaching the international community, specifically AlIPH organisation to allocate the necessary funds for the reconstruction of this mosque."
The building was rebuilt by the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH), in collaboration with the Iraqi Ministry of Culture.
"It is a beautiful initiative to reopen the mosque, to distinguish Ramadan this year by hosting Taraweeh prayers," said local resident Abeer Al-Ghanim. "Hopefully, this opening may contribute to the revival of the area."
The mosque, the first built in the city and the fifth in the Islamic world, was founded around 638 CE, with the current building dating back to the 19th century. It was heavily damaged after ISIS took control of the city in 2014, before the group was driven out again by Iraqi forces in 2017.
The building, located on the western side of Old Mosul is close to Bashtabiya Castle and the Tigris River.
Iraq's Nineveh province inaugurated the restored Umayyad Mosque, also known as the Masfi Mosque, in Mosul on Thursday, days ahead of Ramadan and nearly a decade after the Islamic State group first seized the city.
Footage shows the opening ceremony with Muslim and Christian clerics and officials, before locals performed the first joint prayers at the mosque.
"This mosque, which was destroyed by the terrorist [group] ISIS who removed many parts of it, was subject to many appeals by the people of Mosul to restore this mosque to its original state," explained Ali Obaid, head of the General Authority for Antiquities and Heritage. "We succeeded in approaching the international community, specifically AlIPH organisation to allocate the necessary funds for the reconstruction of this mosque."
The building was rebuilt by the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH), in collaboration with the Iraqi Ministry of Culture.
"It is a beautiful initiative to reopen the mosque, to distinguish Ramadan this year by hosting Taraweeh prayers," said local resident Abeer Al-Ghanim. "Hopefully, this opening may contribute to the revival of the area."
The mosque, the first built in the city and the fifth in the Islamic world, was founded around 638 CE, with the current building dating back to the 19th century. It was heavily damaged after ISIS took control of the city in 2014, before the group was driven out again by Iraqi forces in 2017.
The building, located on the western side of Old Mosul is close to Bashtabiya Castle and the Tigris River.