Plans to rebuild al-Masfi mosque

AS DAWN broke over Mosul yesterday, worshippers knelt between piles of rubble while Eid al-Fitr prayers took place in the city’s oldest mosque for the first time since Islamic State was driven out of the area in 2017.

Groups of men entered silently and sat down to listen to Quar’anic recitals in the building, which dates back to the Umayyad period in the 7th century and remains largely in ruins following heavy fighting in Mosul’s Old City.

“The message is clear, the al-Masfi mosque is the Islamic epicentre and symbol of the area.

“It is not only Islamic, but also a symbol of the city,” said Ahmed Najem, a local academic, after prayers.

The mosque was partially destroyed during the brutal occupation by the Islamic State.

It has been left in disrepair, but Najem said: “We need to accelerate its reconstruction.”