PARIS — Mosul, the second-largest city in Iraq, was under Islamic State (IS) control for three years, from 2014 until 2017. When the liberators arrived, they found a city almost completely ruined. According to UNESCO estimates, 80% of the Old City of Mosul has been destroyed due to its occupation. Five years later, Paris-based UNESCO Chief Audrey Azoulay prepares to travel to the region in order to launch the second phase of the agency’s cultural heritage reconstruction program.

Mosul is the capital of the region of Ninevah, mentioned already in the Bible. Ancient mosques, churches and synagogues adorning the city testify to its glorious history, rich in architecture, culture and art. Almost all of that was gone with the IS invasion and ensuing battles.

After Mosul’s liberation, Azoulay took it as a personal mission to advance the city’s reconstruction. In 2018, she announced the launching of a program titled "Revive the Spirit of Mosul." In its description of the program, UNESCO noted, "Reviving Mosul is not only about reconstructing heritage sites, it is about empowering the population as agents of change involved in the process of rebuilding their city through culture and education. It is with a strong message of hope and resistance to Iraq and to the world, a message that an inclusive, cohesive and equitable society is the future that Iraqis deserve."

"Revive the Spirit of Mosul" is composed of three pillars, explains Chief of UNESCO’s taskforce for Mosul Lodovico Folin-Calabi. Based in Paris, he often travels to Iraq to supervise and coordinate the reconstruction projects there. "One pillar is cultural heritage rehabilitation, another one is support for education, and the third is cultural life. Rehabilitation is not only about reconstructing stones or monuments, which are of course important, but really about bringing back life into the city. It’s about social cohesion and the strong link that had persisted through the long history of Mosul between culture and everyday life."