Al-Hadba minaret
History of the minaret
Al-Hadba minaret was built in 1172 by the Seljuk ruler Nur al-Din as part of the religious complex that included Al-Nouri mosque. It was 45 metres tall and decorated with ornamental brickwork.
In the 14th century, when the structure began to lean noticeably, it was given the name “Al-Hadba”, which means “the hunchback” in Arabic. The minaret quickly became a prominent landmark of Mosul and Iraq, even appearing on the 10,000 Dinar bill.
The destruction of the main part of the minaret, which had leaned protectively over the city for centuries, was a national tragedy. During the battle to liberate Mosul in 2017, residents formed a human chain, preventing the complete destruction of the minaret.
Rebuilding “as it was”
The first phase of reconstruction included in-depth structural, geological and archaeological studies. Teams also secured, cleaned, and stabilized the remaining base of the minaret.
Moslawi experts in engineering, archaeology, architecture and geology were involved in developing the reconstruction project, and consultations were held with local authorities and stakeholders.
Following a survey conducted by UNESCO and the University of Mosul on the reconstruction of Al-Hadba minaret, 94% of respondents said that they wanted to see it restored exactly as it was before its destruction in 2017.
Active reconstruction began in February 2022. The minaret was rebuilt entirely with bricks, a technique that had not been used for centuries, and with a leaning structure. The cutting-edge engineering practices used guarantee the stability of the monument while ensuring the compatibility of construction materials and techniques.
The minaret was left completely destroyed after the conflict.
Rubble was removed from the minaret site.
Field investigations took place, including geotechnical, archaeological and damage assessments.
March 2022:
The remaining base was consolidated and connections to the new foundation prepared.
Last trimester of 2022:
The new foundation was completed, connecting the base of the minaret with the bedrock (stable soil) through a concrete belt and micro-pile system.
First trimester of 2023:
Reconstruction of the shaft began, entirely in brick masonry.
First trimester of 2024:
The reconstruction of the shaft was completed.
Last trimester of 2024:
Reconstruction was completed.
3 questions to Maria Rita Acetoso
Head of the UNESCO reconstruction team for Al-Nouri Mosque, Al-Saa'a Convent and Al-Tahera Church
Why is the reconstruction of the minaret a technical challenge?
Maria Rita Acetoso - The minaret had a 40-metre rounded shaft, with an internal double helicoidal staircase and with decorative panels in carved bricks. It was built straight but, over the centuries, it leaned. Rebuilding a leaning minaret using an internal steel structure would have already been difficult: doing it with traditional material was even more challenging. And we did this on top of the original bases, already affected by severe structural problems before the intentional destruction and left significantly weakened by the massive impact of the explosion.
How did you make the minaret lean?
The lost shaft has been entirely rebuilt in brick masonry, with local improvements to reinforce the joints of the cylinder’s external sections and the inner trunk. The approved angle, which means that the tower extends as far as 1.6 metres horizontally, has been reached through a special positioning of the bricks’ rows, while ensuring the horizontal nature of the mortar joints, which are critical for distributing the stresses in a homogenous way, thus avoiding structural damage. We have mobilized the best international experts, including those from the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy.
UNESCO also wants to use traditional materials as much as possible, what are they?
The use of brick masonry has ensured the compatibility with the original materials, the respect for the original construction technique, and sustainability and durability of the materials. This entailed, as much as possible, the reuse of historical fragments recovered from the original structure. It included of course the external decorative panels, made of carved bricks. By doing this, we managed to restore the true shape of the minaret back into Mosul’s culture and its urban skyline.
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