Ancient Al-Raabiya Mosque in Mosul to be renovated
Al-Raabiya Mosque in the city of Mosul. Photo: ALIPH Foundation
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The preliminary phase of a project restoring and reconstructing Al-Raabiya Mosque in the ancient part of Mosul city began with support from the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH) and under the supervision of the Nineveh Antiquities and Heritage Inspectorate.
The Director of the Department of Investigation and Excavations, Ali Obaid Shalgham, said that the reconstruction phase includes isolating, numbering and preserving the marble pieces in preparation for returning them to their places during the construction. It also includes the restoration of the dome, soil investigations and foundations testing to gather information related to soil resistance and to find proper solutions.
This is part of the plan of the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (SBAH) of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities to protect archaeological sites, prevent transgressions and provide an appropriate atmosphere for excavation works, in cooperation with foreign excavation missions.
ALIPH is a unique international cooperation initiative designed to meet the challenge of protecting cultural heritage in conflict areas.
ALIPH’s three areas of intervention are: preventive protection to limit the risks of destruction, emergency measures to ensure the security of heritage, and post-conflict actions to enable local populations to once again enjoy their cultural heritage.
According to ALIPH, Al-Raabiya Mosque, built in 1766, boasts a decorated dome, partly glazed with turquoise tiles and featuring calligraphy and geometric patterns. It is named after the daughter of the governor of Mosul, lsma’il Pasha Jalili, Rab’iya Khatun, who financed its construction.
The mosque was heavily damaged during the battle to liberate Mosul in 2016 and 2017. In cooperation with the SBAH and Mosul University, Italian and local experts are rehabilitating the mosque to return it to the community, ALIPH foundation mentioned.
This project is part of the Mosul Mosaic initiative aiming to preserve cultural heritage of Mosul in its religious diversity, according to ALIPH.
In December 2020, with the support of the governor of Nineveh and the SBAH, the Iraqi Army cleared the site from explosive remnants of war, allowing the rehabilitation work to begin, ALIPH mentioned.