World News for Students of English

11-09-2020 15:00

The incomplete Grand Mosque in the Iraqi city of Mosul is under construction again.

The mosque is situated in eastern Mosul, overlooking the Tigris River, and it was previously called Saddam Mosque after the former Iraqi president. Building began in the mid-nineties; however, works were interrupted due to political instability in the country.

Work was supposed to restart in 2013; however, the battle against ISIS in northern Iraq further delayed it. ISIS reportedly used the mosque as an explosive factory and a sniper outpost.

The structure was lucky to survive as the terrorist group was ousted from the city. Now, the Iraqi Sunni Endowment is funding the project to finish the mosque. In 2018, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) promised to provide $50 million dollars to fund the reconstruction project with a joint collaboration between the UAE, UNESCO, and Iraq’s culture ministry.

The expected completion date of the reconstruction is in 2023.

Difficult words: sniper (a person who shoots at people from a hiding place), outpost (a small group of buildings used for trading or military purposes), oust (to remove someone from a place or position).

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