Built in 1727, Basra’s Al-Siraji Mosque gets demolished
Basra (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi governorate of Basra has began dismantling and removing the nearly 300-year-old Al-Siraji Mosque in order to extend the Abi Al-Khasib road in the governorate’s south. Many Iraqis have used to social media to express their displeasure and criticism.
According to the governor of Basra, Asaad Al-Eidani: “The goal of demolishing the Al-Saraji Mosque is to complete the expansion of the street, in response to the demands of citizens and vehicle owners, due to the severe crowds being in the middle of the street.”
Al-Eidani stated that the local government will renovate the mosque and extend the mosque in a way befitting its heritage and compatible with the governorate’s urbanization, implying that the land will be leveled and the mosque reconstructed.
The occurrence of demolishing the lighthouse was condemned by Iraq’s Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities in a statement, stating its determination to take legal steps to preserve the significant cultural treasure from any administrative or personal misuse.
“We reject any building that bears a heritage or archaeological feature, whether religious or civil, as it is not considered the property of an endowment office, ministry, authority, or governorate, but rather the property of history,” said Ahmed Al-Badrani, Minister of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities.
The mosque, which has a footprint of around 1,900 square meters, is situated in the Abu Al-Khasib district’s Al-Siraji neighborhood. Over the course of the 1980s, donations assisted in restoring it.