Mosul Mosaic: Restoration of Al Musfa (Al Masfi) Mosque

Mosul, Iraq

Amount $ 576 972

Years 2021 - 2023

Operator La Guile Européenne du Raid, in cooperation with the Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (SBAH), the Sunni Waqf, the Institut National du Patrimoine (INP-France) and Ecole de Chaillot

Type of grant Call for projects

Azhar al-Rubaie
Azhar al-Rubaie
Azhar al-Rubaie
La Guilde Européenne du Raid
(c) Guilde Européenne du Raid

Al-Masfi mosque, also known as the Umayyad Mosque, stands on the site of the oldest mosque in Mosul, built shortly after the Islamic conquest of the city in 638 CE. The current building dates to the 19th century and the mosque takes its name from Al-Haj Mohammed Musfa Al-Thamarab, a wealthy benefactor who funded its reconstruction in 1847. During the Daesh occupation of Mosul, the mosque and its surrounding area were heavily damaged.


In coordination with the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (SBAH) of Nineveh, as well as the Waqf authorities, a French team of experts led by La Guilde Europeenne du Raid, with the support of the French lnstitut National du Patrimoine, is rehabilitating the mosque. The project provides on-the-job training and employment opportunities for the local population.


This project is part of the Mosul Mosaic initiative aiming to preserve the cultural heritage of Mosul in its religious diversity.