Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Monday, September 1, 2025, attended a special event in Mosul to mark the reopening of two historic churches following their complete restoration.
As monitored by GospelRaw, the churches, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, also known as Al-Tahera Church for Syriac Catholics, and Our Lady of the Hour, within the Dominican Monastery, were severely damaged during the city’s occupation by ISIS. The event was a significant milestone for the community, symbolizing both religious and cultural revival.
The restoration of these churches, alongside other major sites like the Great al-Nuri Mosque, was part of the “Revive the Spirit of Mosul” project, spearheaded by UNESCO.
The initiative was supported by the UAE and the European Union, with funds directed toward rebuilding the structures to their original designs.
During the ceremony, Prime Minister al-Sudani expressed his gratitude for the resilience of Mosul’s people and stated that the reopening of the churches represents more than just the restoration of buildings.
“This church rises from the rubble to represent the house where the Lord gathers people’s hearts without division or hostility, in a coexistence as old as Iraq itself,” he remarked.
He underscored the importance of this moment as a return to “the spirit of Mosul and the brotherhood that unites its people.”
Archbishop Benedictus Younan Hanno, the bishop of Mosul for the Syriac Catholics, used the occasion to address the Prime Minister directly.
He urged al-Sudani to apply the same dedication shown in restoring national heritage sites to “rebuilding the Christian people.”
Hanno called for greater attention to the needs of Nineveh’s Christian community, highlighting that nearly 80% of Iraq’s Christians have faced human rights violations, with many being forced into exile.
“Iraqi Christians migrated under compulsion, leaving their homeland in tears and pain,” Hanno said.
“They continue to look forward to returning, longing to see Iraq as a beautiful country again, able to embrace its Christian children alongside their brothers from other communities.”
Following the speeches, a symbolic moment took place as Hanno, al-Sudani, and other dignitaries rang the church bell and planted an olive tree in the courtyard to represent peace and hope for the future.
The Prime Minister then proceeded to the Dominican Monastery to officially reopen the Church of Our Lady of the Hour.
The churches, along with other historical sites in Mosul’s Old City, were among the many cultural landmarks destroyed by ISIS during their occupation from 2014 to 2017.
Their restoration, part of a broader effort to revive the city’s heritage, reflects the ongoing recovery of Mosul and its determination to rebuild its identity and unity.
UNESCO’s restoration efforts were made possible with support from the UAE and the EU, and the event marked a significant step in Mosul’s broader rehabilitation following the devastation caused by the conflict.
