Great Mosque of al-Nuri

Mosul, Iraq

The Great Mosque of Mosul, famous for its leaning minaret (al-Hadba), destroyed by ISIS in 2017. Its destruction became a global symbol of cultural heritage under attack.

Historical Context

Built by Nur al-Din Mahmud Zengi, the Atabeg of Mosul and Damascus who unified Muslim forces against the Crusaders, the mosque was a statement of Sunni Islamic renewal. Its distinctive tilting minaret became the symbol of Mosul itself.