Competition organised by UNESCO, the Iraqi Ministry of Culture and the Iraqi Sunni Endowment

UNESCO, in close coordination with the Iraqi Ministry of Culture and the Iraqi Sunni Endowment and the support of the United Arab Emirates, is administering an international design competition for selecting a winning design entry for the Reconstruction and Rehabilitation of the Al Nouri complex in Mosul. The international design competition for this project is starting today 16th November 2020 and wishes to attract submissions from a wide range of architects or teams of architects and engineers from around the world to submit a design proposal for reconstructing and rehabilitating the Al Nouri complex.

Known for being one of the oldest cities in the world, Mosul – ‘the linking point’ in Arabic - is now at the beginning of its recovery process, after the destruction infringed by conflict 2014. 

As part of the ‘Revive the Spirit of Mosul’ initiative, UNESCO, the Iraqi Ministry of Culture and the Iraqi Sunni Endowment, with the generous financial support of the United Arab Emirates, have committed to reconstruct and rehabilitate the Al Nouri Complex in Mosul. The reconstruction of this important landmark of the city is of upmost importance to send a strong signal of resilience and hope, as a first step towards social cohesion and reconciliation in the post-conflict Iraq. Indeed, historical sites and monuments are not only a scientific tool of knowledge, but they also represent a powerful symbol of belonging, community, and identity, whose rehabilitation will facilitate recovering the memory of the ‘Moslawis’ that once felt part of a vibrant and emerging city.  

The Al Nouri complex, since its construction in the second half of the XII century, has constituted a core site in the urban life and development of the City of Mosul. In fact, looking at the historical transformations of the city over the centuries, it appears clear how the complex can be classified among those ‘main monuments’ influencing the different street layouts. 

Located in the north-eastern sector of the Old City, with an area of approximately 11.050 sq., the Al Nouri complex includes main landmarks, such as the Al-Hadba Minaret and Al Nouri Prayer hall, a number of secondary buildings and an extensive open area.

Severely damaged in 2017, the complex will be the subject of an integrated rehabilitation program, meant to reconstruct the Al Nouri prayer Hall, and, at the same time, integrate new functions to be hosted in the newly designed or rehabilitated secondary buildings, which will enhance further the role that this important complex has played for the ‘Moslawis’ over the century. The program will also encompass the redesign of the open space and the relation of the complex with the surrounding historical urban fabrics, through its new gates and fences, in order to recover its central function in the urban life of the Old City.

The participants must create an integrated design inspired from and compatible with the traditional architecture of Mosul’s old city while considering the retention of authenticity and integrity of the complex. Importance must be given to integrating an environmentally-conscious design, which in the Mosul context should consider locally resourced materials, climate, and efficiency. Maintaining the original essence is something that is very much required, the new design must integrate and blend seamlessly with the remains of historical landmarks within the complex.

Judges: The jury is made up of the following members listed in alphabetical order (9 jurors and 2 alternates):

  • Howayda Al-Harithy, Saudi Arabia: Professor of Architecture and Director of the School of Design at the American University of Beirut.
  • Ahmed Alomary, Iraq: Head of the Department of Architectural Engineering at the University of Mosul
  • Raya Ani, Iraq: FAIA, LEED AP, Founder and Design Director at RAW-NYC Architects
  • Xavier Casanovas, Spain: Expert in urban regeneration and sustainable rehabilitation and professor at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia
  • Amel Chabbi, United Arab Emirates: Head of the Conservation Section at the Department of
  • Culture and Tourism for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi
  • Shahira Fahmy, Egypt: Architect, urbanist, creative researcher and founder of Shahira Fahmi Architects
  • Dominique Perrault, France: Architect, founder of Dominique Perrault Architecture (DPA)
  • Wang Shu, China: Architect and co-founder of Amateur Architecture Studio
  • Marina Tabassum, Bangladesh: Architect and principal of Marina Tabassum Architects
  • Shadia Touqan, Palestine: Architect, urban planner and director of ARC-WH (UNESCO Category 2 Centre)
  • Jerzy Uścinowicz, Poland Professor of Architecture and Head of the Division of Architecture of Local Cultures in the Faculty of Architecture of the Białystok University of Technology.

The announcement of the winner will be made on April 15th, 2021. UNESCO will be offering a range of prizes to the top five design entries with the winner getting $50,000. The second place will get $30,000, third place $20,000, fourth place $15,000, and fifth place $10,000.