An 800-Year-Old Mosque Rises Again: Restoration Underway in Akre
“The efforts aim to preserve this heritage site and protect it from potential collapse,” Hawar Adil, a representative of the local NGO The Lotus Flower, told Kurdistan24 on Wednesday.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Funded by Germany, the Akre Directorate of Antiquities and Heritage, in cooperation with the German development agency GIZ and a local non-governmental organization, has launched the restoration of an over eight-century-old mosque in Duhok’s Akre district.
The historic stone-built mosque, known as the Ashabee Mosque, sits atop a hill in the Bijil area of Akre district in Duhok province, an area renowned for its scenic natural beauty.
Restoration work began with clearing the site and is now progressing on the centuries-old structure. While some historians believe the mosque dates back to the early spread of Islam in the region, other sources trace its origins to the Atabaki (Atabegate) period, which spans the late 12th to early 13th centuries following the decline of the Seljuk Empire.
“The efforts aim to preserve this heritage site and protect it from potential collapse,” Hawar Adil, a representative of the local NGO The Lotus Flower, told Kurdistan24 on Wednesday.
The restoration is part of a broader livelihood initiative titled Employment Prospects for the Socio-economic Integration of Refugees, IDPs, and Host Communities in Iraq (EPSI). The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in partnership with The Lotus Flower and the Directorates of Antiquities and Heritage in Akre and Duhok, Adil explained.
According to a restoration expert working on the site, the mosque is being preserved using the same stone materials and traditional construction techniques originally employed in its construction.
“The restoration supports both tourism development and the preservation of Kurdish history,” one project participant told Kurdistan24.
The initiative comes as the same organizations, in coordination with the Duhok Directorate of Antiquities and Heritage, are also restoring Akre’s historic fortress, known locally as Qishla. Upon completion, part of the fortress is expected to be converted into a museum showcasing local antiquities.
Read More: A Museum in the Making: Germany Supports Restoration of Akre’s Historical Fort
