Nineveh governor launches UNESCO collaboration to rebuild historic Qara Saray in Mosul

MOSUL, November 14 — Nineveh Governor Najim Al-Jubouri announced on Tuesday the start of a campaign, in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), to rebuild the 800-year-old Qara Saray palace and 40 other historic houses within the ancient city of Mosul.

Qara Saray served as the residence and palace of Sultan Badr Al-Din Lu’lu’ Al-Atabaki and is situated on the right bank of the Tigris River near the historic Bash Tapia Castle.

Al-Jubouri said that UNESCO, in cooperation with the inspection teams of Nineveh’s Antiquities Directorate, has begun the reconstruction of the Qara Saray archaeological area and 40 nearby historic houses, aligning with available plans that replicate the layout of the ancient city of Mosul.

He added that the reconstruction, which began on Monday, would have an open-ended completion period to ensure precision and authenticity in preserving the archaeological landmarks in and around the area.

Al-Jubouri highlighted that UNESCO will undertake another reconstruction campaign for the destroyed historic houses on the right bank of Mosul, with work set to begin in the first quarter of the upcoming year. This initiative aims to safeguard the heritage, history, and cultural significance of these houses.