IRAQI WOMEN REBUILD THEIR CITY, MOSUL DEVASTATED BY DAESH
Five years after the fall of the caliphate, they are bringing historic buildings and houses back to life
from the ashes thanks to the initiative of UNESCO and the support of the European Union.
After fleeing the arrival of the Islamic State in 2014, Nadia and Noor, archaeologists by profession returned to Mosul
in 2017. There they discovered their city nearly 80% razed. "I found my house partially destroyed. I really
suffered to see all this destruction. A large part of my childhood neighborhood had completely disappeared.
A large part of my childhood neighborhood had completely disappeared," exclaims Nadia.
When, in 2018, UNESCO launched the "Reviving the Spirit of Mosul" initiative, a heritage reconstruction program in
this city with strong cultural and symbolic content, Nadia and Noor applied and join the project.
On the site of the Al Nuri mosque destroyed by Daesh and the fighting against the alliance, they carry out archaeological
excavations in order to recover the maximum of pieces buried under the rubble. Each of the objects will be meticulously
cleaned, numbered and assembled to reconstitute the gigantic puzzle. According to the engineers, the reconstruction
of the mosque and the minaret can still take two to three years.
A few steps away from the mosque, houses are being finished. Doha and Saray are busy with the final touches.
They have taken the masonry training that the UNESCO program has set up to promote youth employment.
According to the UN, only 14% of Iraqi women work, and the percentage is much lower in the cities where
Daesh is active. Beyond having found a job, they say they are proud and happy to be able
to help those who have lost everything to find their home.
A few steps away from the mosque, houses are being finished. Doha and Saray are busy with the final touches. They have taken the masonry training that the UNESCO program has set up to promote youth employment. According to the UN, only 14% of Iraqi women work, and the percentage is much lower in the cities where Daesh is active. Beyond having found a job, they say they are proud and happy to be able to help those who have lost everything to find their home.