, native_name_lang = ar , image = Manarat Anah 2.jpg , image_upright = 1.4 , alt = , caption = The minaret of Anah, in 2013 , map_type = Iraq , map_size = 240 , map_alt = , map_relief = 1 , map_caption = Location in

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

, prior to its destruction , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , religious_affiliation =

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

, locale = , location = Anah,

, deity = , rite = , sect = , tradition = , festival = , cercle = , sector = , municipality = , district = , territory = , prefecture = , state = , province = , region = , country = , administration = , consecration_year = , organisational_status =

Minaret A minaret (; ar, منارة, translit=manāra, or ar, مِئْذَنة, translit=miʾḏana, links=no; tr, minare; fa, گل‌دسته, translit=goldaste) is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generall ...

, functional_status = Destroyed , heritage_designation = , ownership = , governing_body = , leadership = , bhattaraka = , patron = , website = , architect = , architecture_type =

, architecture_style = Abbasid architecture , founded_by = , creator = , funded_by = , general_contractor = , established = , groundbreaking = , year_completed = , construction_cost = , date_demolished = , date_destroyed = , facade_direction = , capacity = , length = , width = , width_nave = , interior_area = , height_max = , dome_quantity = , dome_height_outer = , dome_height_inner = , dome_dia_outer = , dome_dia_inner = , minaret_quantity = 1 , minaret_height = , spire_quantity = , spire_height = , site_area = , temple_quantity = , monument_quantity = , shrine_quantity = , inscriptions = , materials = , elevation_m = , elevation_footnotes = , nrhp = , designated = , added = , refnum = , footnotes = The Minaret of Anah or Tower of Anah ( ar, مئذنة عانة) was a

minaret A minaret (; ar, منارة, translit=manāra, or ar, مِئْذَنة, translit=miʾḏana, links=no; tr, minare; fa, گل‌دسته, translit=goldaste) is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generall ...

which dates back to the Abbasid era. The freestanding tower was located on the western shore of

Euphrates river The Euphrates () is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Tigris–Euphrates river system, Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia ( ''the land between the rivers'') ...

in the old Anah region,

Al Anbar Governorate Al Anbar Governorate ( ar, محافظة الأنبار; ''muḥāfaẓat al-’Anbār''), or Anbar Province, is the largest governorate in Iraq by area. Encompassing much of the country's western territory, it shares borders with Syria, Jordan, ...

. It was destroyed in 2006, then rebuilt in 2013, and then destroyed again in 2016 by ISIL.

Description

Archaeologists estimate the construction of the tower dates back to the late Abbasid era. It is considered established during the period from 996 to 1096 CE, judging from the Abbasid architectural style, inscriptions and other elements of the building. It was originally built on the island of Labad on the Euphrates river by the Uqaylid dynasty of

Mosul Mosul ( ar, الموصل, al-Mawṣil, ku, مووسڵ, translit=Mûsil, Turkish: ''Musul'', syr, ܡܘܨܠ, Māwṣil) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. The city is considered the second large ...

. The architectural style was notably different from the other Abbasid era minarets.Manaret al-‘Anah
''Archnet''. Retrieved December 25, 2017. The tower reached the height of approximately and consists of eight levels. It had square shaped platform and 64 niches on the octagonal frame. It was slightly leaning, although the angle was less compared to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. In the mid-80s, the late president

Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein ( ; ar, صدام حسين, Ṣaddām Ḥusayn; 28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolution ...

inaugurated several dams in Euphrates river in order to secure the stable supply of water, affecting the region where the tower was located and resulted in the potential danger of tower submerging into the water. Team of Iraqi archaeological experts had cooperated with the UAE mission to dismantle the tower into 28 pieces and relocate into nearby site.

2006 destruction and 2013 restoration

In 2006, the tower was destroyed by the explosion caused by the unknown perpetrator. The explosion was considered among the series of events which targeted Iraqi cultural heritage sites, including the statue of Abu Ja’afar al-Mansur in

Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...

. The Iraqi Accord Front accused Shiite militias for deliberately destroying the cultural heritages built during the

Sunni Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...

dynasties including the statue of al-Mansur and the top of the Malwiya Minaret. In 2013, the tower was rebuilt by the work of Iraqi engineers, artists and heritage conservation based on the architectural blueprint preserved by the ministry of tourism. The tower was rebuilt along with the other heritage sites destroyed during the war.

2016 destruction

The minaret of Anah was destroyed in late 2016 by the

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant An Islamic state is a State (polity), state that has a form of government based on sharia, Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical Polity, polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a t ...

as an attempt to destroy the Islamic heritage of Iraq.

Restoration

The Ministry of Culture of Iraq attempted to restore the minaret in 2021. They also collected fragments from the minaret's ruins.

References

{{coord missing, Iraq Abbasid architecture Buildings and structures demolished in 2016 Buildings and structures destroyed by ISIL Demolished buildings and structures in Iraq Anah

Description

2006 destruction and 2013 restoration

2016 destruction

Restoration

See also

References