UNESCO and EU's Joint Effort to Revive Mosul and Basra's Cultural Heritage

In the aftermath of years of war, conflict and destruction in Iraq, UNESCO launched a project aimed at reviving the cities of Mosul and Basra in partnership with the European Union. The partnership with the EU, which funds the project, has been vital because it has allowed the partners to develop a comprehensive approach encompassing both heritage restoration and community development.

Junaid Sorosh-Wali, UNESCO's Chief of Culture, noted that "the project, Reviving Mosul and Basra Old Cities, is yet another testimony to the longstanding partnership between UNESCO and the European Union in the field of cultural heritage preservation," emphasizing that " … our shared commitment to the preservation of cultural heritage as a tool for building resilient and sustainable communities is the driving force behind our action."

In the framework of the project, UNESCO is working alongside the Ministry of Culture and local authorities and communities to promote economic growth by focusing on rebuilding heritage houses, schools, and reviving local cultural life. One of the components of the project in Mosul is the reconstruction of the Al-Ekhlas School which was destroyed during the conflict. With the support of the local community, UNESCO is rebuilding a unique child-friendly school that will provide students with a safe and stable learning environment and which, beyond that, lights up a path of hope and renewal for upcoming generations in a city once famed for education and scholarship.

The project has seen significant progress in upgrading public infrastructure and restoring more than 124 historic houses in the Old City of Mosul, out of which 80 have been completed and already handed over to their owners. In the Old City of Basra 11 characteristic "Shanasheel" heritage houses are being rehabilitated and the historical canal along which they are located is being repaired.

The rehabilitation and construction activities associated with these interventions constitute the support for apprenticeship and training programs in which young people from the local communities are schooled in traditional crafts and restoration techniques. The benefits are twofold: there is a growing pool of local skills and talents able to support ongoing and future conservation work in both cities, on one hand, and there are better employment opportunities for young workers that have acquired improved qualifications and marketable job-skills, on the other. The project focuses on empowering women and youth in both cities, provides training and support for young female workers and technicians interested in pursuing careers in construction and conservation, creates job opportunities for them, and boosts local economic growth.

As the project unfolds, UNESCO and the European Union remain committed to the task of revitalizing Mosul and Basra through interventions that preserve and promote cultural heritage, reinforce people's and communities' sense of continuity and connection with their past, and bolster a peaceful sense of their identity with which to step into the future with confidence.

Revive The Spirit Of Mosul