A view of the destroyed al-Nuri mosque in the old city of Mosul is seen on April 23, 2018. (AFP photo)
BAGHDAD, April 24 (Xinhua) -- An agreement to reconstruct Iraqi historical Grand Mosque of al-Nuri and its leaning minaret was signed in Baghdad, a statement from United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said on Tuesday.
Iraq, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the UNESCO signed the agreement of partnership to exploit 50.4 million U.S. dollars offered by UAE to rebuild the historical mosque.
"This is a historic partnership, the largest and unprecedented cooperation to rebuild cultural heritage in Iraq ever. In supporting what is truly a flagship component of the UNESCO Initiative Revive the Spirit of Mosul," the Director-General of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay commented on the agreement which was signed on Monday in Baghdad.
Azoulay welcomed the agreement as a unique opportunity to foster hope and social cohesion and a springboard for skills and jobs for young people. "We are grateful for their (UAE) generosity which stands to benefit the people of Mosul and their fellow Iraqis," the statement said.
She said the UAE-backed project is meant to reconstruct the emblematic al-Nuri Mosque and its leaning 45-meter al-Hadbaa Minaret, which was built more than 840 years ago.
According to the statement, the first year will focus on "documenting and clearing the site," in addition to drawing plans for its reconstruction, while the following four years will focus on the "restoration and historically faithful reconstruction of the Leaning Minaret of the al-Nuri Mosque and adjacent buildings."
The plan will also include "the city's historic gardens and other open spaces and infrastructures, in addition to building a memorial and a museum at the mosque site," UNESCO said.
At the International Conference for the Reconstruction of Iraq held in Kuwait in February earlier this year, Azoulay announced the launch of an initiative called "Revive the Spirit of Mosul," which is focusing on rebuilding Iraq's second-largest city of Mosul.
On March 11, a statement by the office of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, initiated the offer of reconstructing al-Nuri Mosque and its al-Hadbaa minaret in the Old City of the devastated city of Mosul.
Mosul, 400 km north of Iraq's capital Baghdad, has been under control of the extremist Islamic State (IS) militants since June 2014.
On June 21, 2017, IS militants blew up Mosul's al-Nuri Mosque and its al-Hadbaa minaret, as Iraqi forces were pushing near the Mosque area in the western side of Mosul.
Al-Nuri Mosque was built in 1172 with its famous leaning minaret, which gave the city its nickname "al-Hadbaa" or "the hunchback."
On July 10, Abadi officially declared Mosul's liberation from IS after nearly nine months of fierce fighting to dislodge the extremist militants from their last major stronghold in Iraq.