Egyptian committee at ICOM condemns Nuri Mosque explosion

CAIRO - 23 June 2017: The Egyptian committee at the International Council of Museums (ICOM) condemns the explosion of the Great Mosque of al-Nuri and its leaning al-Hadba minaret, by the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group on Wednesday June 21.

Dr. Khaled Azab, the president of the Egyptian Committee stated that the committee will organize with the ICOM and the UNESCO to create an international coalition aiming to support the Mosul heritage and recover the stolen antiquities, as well as supporting the reformation of the Iraqi national committee for museums to get back to play its role in saving the Iraqi heritage after it has been dissolved for years.

Azab emphasized that the Egyptian committee will coordinate with the College of Archaeology at the Mosul University to set a program to support the Mosul antiquities. He also pointed out that the committee supports the efforts of the Iraqi archaeologist Adam Hanash to build a university of the Islamic heritage and architecture in Mosul.

The 850-year old distinguished mosque was where the terrorist group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared his caliphate in parts of Syria and Iraq three years ago, and the Daesh black flag has been flying over it since June 2014.