CAIRO — The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced April 15 that a design submitted by eight Egyptian architects had won the international competition for the reconstruction of the historic Al-Nouri Mosque complex in Iraq’s northern city of Mosul. The complex is a key component of UNESCO's “Revive the Spirit of Mosul” project for the rehabilitation of the ancient city following its 2017 liberation from the Islamic State (IS).

The winning Courtyards Dialogue design was one of 123 submitted by architects from around the world. It was presented by a team of four partners and four architects led by Salah Hareedi, a professor of architecture at the University of Alexandria’s Faculty of Fine Arts.

The mosque where IS leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, made his first public appearance on July 4, 2014, was essentially destroyed during the June 21, 2017, battle for the liberation of Mosul between IS on one side and Iraqi and US forces on the other. The mosque, which dated to 1172, was famous for its leaning minaret, which had been one of its last few remaining original features. While witnesses say IS blew up the mosque during the battle before the city was retaken by the government forces and video backs this up, IS claimed, without evidence, that the structure was destroyed by US air raids.

On Nov. 17, UNESCO launched an international architectural competition for the reconstruction of the Al-Nouri Mosque complex. Participants were asked to submit a conceptual design by March that took into account the conservation of the standing structures of the mosque's prayer hall, their integration into the plan and the rehabilitation of a number of historic buildings.