12th Century Prayer Room Found under Mosque in Iraq’s Mosul

Excavations around the Al-Nuri mosque in the old town of Iraq's northern city Mosul, which was heavily damaged by ISIS in 2017. (AFP)
Excavations around the Al-Nuri mosque in the old town of Iraq's northern city Mosul, which was heavily damaged by ISIS in 2017. (AFP)
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12th Century Prayer Room Found under Mosque in Iraq’s Mosul

Excavations around the Al-Nuri mosque in the old town of Iraq's northern city Mosul, which was heavily damaged by ISIS in 2017. (AFP)
Excavations around the Al-Nuri mosque in the old town of Iraq's northern city Mosul, which was heavily damaged by ISIS in 2017. (AFP)

The foundations of a prayer hall from the 12th century have been discovered under the Al-Nuri mosque -- where the ISIS group once proclaimed their so-called "caliphate" -- in Iraq's Mosul, site managers said Tuesday.

The mosque, which along with its iconic leaning minaret was severely damaged by ISIS during the battle to dislodge the jihadists from Mosul in 2017, has been undergoing reconstruction.

The prayer room was found during excavation underneath the mosque, according to Khaireddine Nasser, director of the department of antiquities and heritage in Nineveh province, of which Mosul is the capital.

Four additional rooms for the performance of ablutions were also discovered under the prayer room, Nasser said.

Those rooms "are interconnected and built of stone and plaster".

The discovery allows for "better knowledge of the surface of Al-Nuri mosque and this ancient prayer room, but also the ablution basins" found there.

Each ablution room measures three meters (almost 10 feet) in height and 3.5 meters in width, Nasser said.

"They are about six meters underground," he added.

He said the discovery "amplifies the importance of this historical and archaeological site".

The excavation was carried out by his department, with support from UNESCO and funding from the United Arab Emirates.

"The foundations of the old prayer hall are more extensive than those of the prayer hall built in the 1940s", he added.

The mosque was constructed in 1172, but much of it was destroyed and reconstructed in 1942, with the exception of its minaret, which endured.

UNESCO raised more than $100 million in 2019 as part of its initiative to "revive the spirit of Mosul". About half of the funds were pledged by the UAE.

Reconstruction work is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.



Over 500 Media Professionals at 'Riyadh Tour' for Arabian Horses

General view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
General view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
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Over 500 Media Professionals at 'Riyadh Tour' for Arabian Horses

General view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
General view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)

The "Riyadh Tour", the fourth stage of the Global Champions Arabians Tour taking place in Riyadh, set a major record in the number of registered media professionals covering the competition, with more than 500 journalists in attendance.
The media representatives come from various broadcast, radio, and print media outlets both inside and outside the Kingdom, SPA reported.

The "Riyadh Tour" is receiving exceptional and extensive media coverage through daily broadcasting of the competitions.
The Riyadh Tour competitions began yesterday and are scheduled to run through next Saturday at the Jump Saudi venue in Al-Janadriyah.

The event features some of the world’s finest purebred Arabian horse stables, with total prize money exceeding €24 million.