But in many circles, it has done anything but, prompting an uproar among architects, urban planners and some Mosul residents who say it ignores Iraqi heritage. Perhaps in a nod to the United Arab Emirates, which is footing the bill, the winning design features cream-colored brick and straight angles of the kind found in the Gulf — a contrast to the arches, blue-veined local alabaster and limestone of traditional Mosul buildings. — The New York Times
An 8-member team of Egyptian architects had initially been selected from a lot of 123 for their "Courtyards Dialogue" proposal that will add a cultural center and school to a storied 12th-century mosque complex. The mosque features a leaning minaret that earned its famous nickname of "The Hunchback."
The $50 million restoration project will repair three religious structures in the war-ravaged Iraqi city including the Al-Nouri Mosque at the center of the dispute. The proposed complex was announced in May and has received significant blowback from academics and trade associations ever since.
This recent criticism may derail initial plans for the project to commence in the fall. The New York Times has more detail on the UN-backed competition here.
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That anyone or anything "is met with controversy" is like reporting that the sun came up this morning. (Not a criticism of the post, but of the discourse.)
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