Ancient Prayer Hall Discovered Under Iraq’s Al-Nuri Mosque During Reconstruction Work

An ancient prayer hall has been discovered under the Great Mosque of al-Nuri in Mosul, Iraq. The mosque is best known in recent years as the place from which the Islamic State, or ISIS, declared their failed caliphate in 2014. ISIS later destroyed the mosque in 2017, and it has been under reconstruction by the United Nations cultural agency UNESCO since 2018, with funding from the United Arab Emirates. The prayer room from the 12^th century was identified during excavations underneath the mosque, according to reports, and some believe it is the mosque’s original prayer hall. In addition, four rooms for the performance of ablutions were discovered under the prayer room. Each room is about 10 feet high, and is about 20 feet underground. The mosque was constructed in 1172, but much of it was destroyed and then reconstructed in 1942, with only its famous leaning minaret surviving.  The current reconstruction work is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.