During the past months, from November to March, I had the chance to work on the architectural competition for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the Al Nouri Complex in Mosul launched by UNESCO Iraq Iraq UNESCO. With Daesh occupation, Mosul became a synonym for terror and violence in all the world. But Mosul is NOT Daesh. Mosul is one of the oldest cities in the world and learning about its history & heritage, and particularly its people was an opportunity to discover more about part of our Arab world that is deeply connected to our culture. Sadly, even in Egypt we still know little about Iraq, a country often associated with wars because of the past decades. Our project came in the 18th position among 123 participants around the world. Even if we didn’t win any of the first 5 prizes, the real success was the process of working with an inspiring team. For weeks we all dived in Mosul’s history through arts and culture.

Thanks to the team behind this work, I really enjoyed working with you.

May El Tabbakh, Marianne Roux, Laila Nabil, Mirna Shalaby

Team credits