On land and in the air. Air gates are open

Most of the architectural creations of human hands follow the styles of their time. However, sometimes there are rather strange structures that become famous due to their ambiguous eccentricities. For example, the Leaning Tower of Pisa is known throughout the world due to the fact that it is tilted to the ground, that is, it was simply built in errors in the calculations of architects. For eo, she received the nickname leaning tower. Surprisingly, this is not the only leaning tower in the world. She's just the most popular. Some leaning towers are even more tilted and have more impressive stories than the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

10 Jam Minaret

Ghor, Afghanistan

Built in 1194 and standing 65 meters high, the Djema Minaret has a slope of about 3.47 degrees, less than that of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. However, the minaret is 9 meters taller than the Leaning Tower of Pisa, which was built more than a century later. The minaret was built by the Ghurids who ruled an ancient empire that stretched from Iran to Bengal. The capital of the empire was called Firozko ("Turquoise Mountain"). Its location is still not known, but scientists believe that the city was located somewhere near the minaret. Two mountain gorges and rivers meet in the area where the minaret is located. The minaret is not popular with tourists because of its remoteness. Anyone who wants to see it will have to make a 12-hour journey through rocky roads. In the past, the road here was full of bandits who robbed travelers. Today these places are controlled by the Taliban. The river also usually floods in spring and summer.

Minaret of Al Nouri Grand Mosque

Mosul, Iraq

The Great Mosque of Al-Nuri was built in 1172 by order of Nur Al-Din Mahmud Zangi, after whom this building is named. He ruled over the area now known as Mosul and Aleppo. Nur ad-Din Mahmud Zangi was a famous fighter against the Christian crusaders, who at that time captured Damascus. Nur ad-Din, was known for his attempts to put the power of the Sunnis over the Shiites. No wonder Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the self-proclaimed leader of the terrorist Islamic State, decided to announce the establishment of a “caliphate” in July 2014 right in this mosque after his terrorists captured Mosul from Iraqi forces. The original mosque, built by Noor Al-Din, collapsed long ago and was replaced by a remake. But the original 45-meter minaret, which is called Al-Hadba (“humped”), has remained standing to this day. No one knows why or when Al-Hadba began to lean, but the lean has been observed since the 14th century. According to folklore, the humpbacked minaret bowed as Muhammad flew over it on his way to heaven. This story is certainly not true because Prophet Muhammad died long before the minaret was built. The slope is believed to be caused by strong winds, weak mortar used in the construction of the minaret, or sunlight hitting one side of the bricks. During the Iran-Iraq war, some bombs directed against terrorists in Mosul damaged several underground pipes. This caused sewer water to seep into the ground and damage the foundation of the building, increasing the slope of the tower. In 2012, UNESCO found the humpbacked minaret to be in danger of collapse. However, historians have nothing to worry about anymore because the Islamic State blew it up in 2017 in an attempt to stop the advance of the Iraqi army.

The Leaning Tower of Suurhusen.

Suurhusen, Germany

The leaning Suurhusen tower is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the most leaning tower in the world. It is tilted at 5.19 degrees. For comparison, the Leaning Tower of Pisa leans 3.99 degrees. The leaning tower of Suurhusen is part of the church attached to it. It was built in the Middle Ages in a swampy area. This forced the builders to bury the oaks in the ground before laying the foundation. The building was stable and did not lean over the centuries. However, when the swamps surrounding the church were drained in the 18th century, the oaks buried under the foundations dried up and the tower began to lean. By the 1970s, some locals feared the tower was about to collapse. The government tried to demolish the tower, but the locals were categorically against it. Since then, local residents have taken steps to preserve the tower. The church and tower are no longer used for services and are only maintained as a tourist attraction. Visitors are not allowed in the church or tower. They also cannot get too close to the building. A safety zone has been created around the tower to ensure that it does not injure anyone if it ever falls.

The Leaning Tower of Zaragoza.

Zaragoza, Spain

The 80-meter Leaning Tower of Zaragoza leaned to one side immediately after it was built in 1504. It is suspected that the construction was rushed and the quality of the tower was insufficient, which caused the tilt. However, the Leaning Tower of Zaragoza rivaled the Leaning Tower of Pisa in popularity. The slope has increased over the years. At one time, experts had a fear that the tower should collapse to the ground. In 1878, the Zaragoza City Council hoped to reduce the slope by removing the spire from the tower. This had no effect and the tower continued to tilt. Unfortunately, the city council demolished the tower in 1892, much to the consternation of the population.

Leaning tower in Bad Frankenhausen

Bad Frankenhausen, Germany

The leaning tower in Bad Frankenhausen is a 56-meter church spire. The spire deviates from the vertical by 4.8 degrees, which is more than that of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The slope of the church spire has been recorded since at least 1640. The slope was caused by the features of the underground geography of Bad Frankenhausen. About 250 million years ago, Bad Frankenhausen was part of the ocean. The water then dried up, leaving the salt that covered the earth for millions of years. About 95 million years ago, the Kyffhauser Hills rose. Bad Frankenhausen is located on the southern slope of the hill range. The ground where the hills had risen began to crack, allowing water to seep into the ground. The water, in turn, began to wash away the salt underground, forming large gaping holes underground. Amid fears that the falling tower of Bad Frankenhausen and the church attached to it could collapse at any moment, the city council of Bad Frankenhausen purchased this building. The federal program will provide funding for a building renovation project to stabilize the tower.

Leaning Teluk Intan Tower

Teluk Intan, Malaysia

Leaning Tower Teluk Intan was built in 1885. Although it was originally intended to serve as a drinking water tank for the residents of Teluk Intan, the tower became a landmark in the city when the city's large clock was installed upon completion. The construction of the water tower was financed by the residents of Teluk Intan. The architectural style bears the features of traditional Chinese architecture, because the engineer of the tower and most of the city dwellers at that time were Chinese. The tower was built of wood and brick, which was not strong enough to support the weight of the water tank. The ground was also exceptionally soft for such a heavy structure. Both factors caused a left slope at the tower. The tower, as befits a real water tower, had a water tank and appropriate pumps for pumping water.

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Falling towers of Bologna

Bologna, Italy

The name Due Torri (“two towers”) refers to the two leaning towers, Asinelli and Garisenda. Both have greater slopes than even the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The Garisenda Tower even holds the record and is the most leaning tower in Italy. The two towers were built in the 12th century and are named after the families that commissioned and financed their construction. While such towers were mainly built for assault and defensive purposes, families in Bologna also used them to display their wealth. At that time the political situation in Bologna was tense. The city split between two rival groups: the Guelphs and the Ghibellines. The Guelphs supported the Pope, while the Ghibellines supported the Holy Roman Emperor. This caused many rival families to build towers to fortify their homes. Hundreds of such towers were built in Bologna, but only Asinelli and Garisenda turned out to be tilted.

Huju Pagoda

Shanghai, China

In 1079, the Huzhu Pagoda was built by the Zhou General Wenda to house the five Buddha statues he received from Emperor Gaozong. The tower began to lean soon after construction was completed. The slope worsened in 1788 when the pagoda was damaged by a fire caused by explosions of firecrackers used by residents to celebrate during the fair. The slope worsened in the 19th century when some villagers dug a hole at the foot of the tower because of gossip that a treasure trove of gold was buried there. Today, the tower is tilted at 7.1 degrees, almost twice as much as the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Despite its steep slope, Huju Pagoda is well maintained and not in danger of collapse.

Leaning Tower of Oldekhov

Leeuwarden, The Netherlands

Oldekhov is a curved leaning tower. Its construction began in 1529, but was abandoned in 1533 after it began to tilt. The builder, Jacob Van Aken, initially tried to counteract the bevel by bending some parts of the tower. This trick didn't work for him. The tower was designed to be 120 meters high, but construction stopped when the tower reached a height of only 48 meters. Although a church was to be added to the tower, it was not built. However, the tower was used as a shop, clock and observation post. Today it functions as a tourist attraction.

Leaning tower in Torun.

Torun, Poland

The Leaning Tower in Torun was built as part of the city wall at the turn of the 14th century. The tower had three walls. One side of the tower was left without a wall so that ammunition could be easily lifted to the top floor. The structure began to tilt already in the Middle Ages. The tower leans because it was built on soft sandy soil. However, this has not stopped people from attributing the tilt to superstition and folklore. Some local people say that God caused the tower to tilt after the Polish mathematician and astronomer Copernicus made a discovery that called into question the existence of God. According to another local legend, the tower was built by a knight in love with a girl who did not correspond to his status and position. This was against the rules of chivalry, so the king ordered him to build a leaning tower as punishment for his dishonesty. In the 18th century, the leaning tower of Toruń was decommissioned as a city wall. A fourth wall was added to it, and the building was turned into a women's prison. It was later converted into a gunsmith's shop and later into living quarters. Today it houses a pub and an office run by the municipal cultural institution.

The militants of the terrorist group "Islamic State" (IS) blew up the mosque "An-Nuri" in Mosul. This was announced on Wednesday, June 21, by the military command of Iraq. In this mosque, IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi announced in 2014 the creation of a "caliphate" of terrorists.

Context

The terrorists also destroyed the "Humpbacked" minaret, General Abdel Amir Yaralla, commander of the operation to expel militants from Mosul, said, Al Sumaria TV channel reported. The minaret was the only part that remained from the original construction of the mosque - it was built in the 12th century, after which it was rebuilt several times. The terrorists have committed "another historic crime," the Iraqi military command said.

IS militants later announced that the mosque had been destroyed by a US airstrike. Representatives of the antiterrorist coalition led by Washington denied this report.

Mosul is the second largest city in Iraq. It was captured by terrorist groups in mid-2014. The operation to free him began in October last year, backed by a US-led international coalition that is carrying out air strikes and advising the Iraqi military.

In January, Baghdad announced the complete liberation of the eastern part of the city, on June 18, the Iraqi army announced that it had begun an assault on the historical part of Mosul.

See also:

• IS stronghold in Iraq

  The Islamic State took over Mosul in the summer of 2014. The jihadists occupied the second largest city in the country with little or no resistance. Since then, it has become the capital of the IS, from where the militants advanced into new territories. This city in northern Iraq has become a symbol of the brutality of the "Islamic state" and the fight against terrorists. The active phase of the liberation of Mosul began in October 2016.



Battle of Mosul: IS' last stand in Iraq?

Who liberates Mosul?

The main strike force for the liberation of Mosul was the Iraqi army, led by special forces - the most combat-ready and experienced Iraqi military. However, its forces are not enough to fight thousands of ISIS jihadists. The Iraqi army is assisted in the operation by Kurdish formations, Sunni tribal militias and a so-called US-led international coalition that is carrying out air strikes.



Battle of Mosul: IS' last stand in Iraq?

Mass executions of IS opponents

During the liberation of Mosul, mass graves of local residents who were killed by terrorists were found in its suburbs. Earlier, the UN repeatedly reported on numerous executions in Mosul. For example, 600 inmates of the local prison were killed. The victims were also those who refused to fight on the side of ISIS, adhere to the laws of the caliphate, or simply tried to escape from the city.



Battle of Mosul: IS' last stand in Iraq?

Famine in Mosul

During the active phase of the operation to liberate Mosul, famine began in the city. ISIS terrorists took away food from the inhabitants. Many of the refugees are in critical condition due to malnutrition, according to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross. The photo shows the distribution of humanitarian aid from the ICRC to the residents of Mosul.



Battle of Mosul: IS' last stand in Iraq?

IS may have used chemical weapons in Mosul

In an attempt to stop the offensive on Mosul, IS fighters, according to US authorities, could use chemical weapons with elements of mustard gas and mustard gas. In early March, about ten patients were admitted to local hospitals with symptoms of chemical exposure. Representatives of the Red Cross are "deeply alarmed" by these facts.



Battle of Mosul: IS' last stand in Iraq?

The UN risks not coping with the flow of refugees

As Mosul was liberated, some of its inhabitants were able to flee. Up to 50,000 people leave the city every day. UN officials said they fear not being able to cope with the flow of refugees. Before the takeover by ISIS, nearly 1.5 million people lived in Mosul. Now, according to various estimates, about 750 thousand inhabitants remain in it. How many people died during this time remains to be established.



Battle of Mosul: IS' last stand in Iraq?

Network of underground tunnels

During the siege, the militants use the methods of guerrilla warfare: they dug a whole network of tunnels under the city and from there carry out attacks on Iraqi soldiers, including using suicide bombers. Earlier, there were also reports of "human shield" tactics by jihadists, according to which, during the fighting, terrorists from the "Islamic State" were covered by the civilians of Mosul.



Battle of Mosul: IS' last stand in Iraq?

Where will the IS fighters go?

After the defeat in Mosul, the militants will have practically no strongholds left. The only major city still under their control is Raqqa in Syria. There, the "Islamic state" is likely to give the last battle. Experts are sure that its outcome is a foregone conclusion, since serious forces of several large states are involved in the fight against IS.

The next target is the western part of the city

At the end of January, Iraqi troops, with the support of Shiite militias, managed to liberate the eastern part of Mosul, separated by the Tigris River, from terrorists. On February 19, an operation began to liberate the western part of the city: according to rough estimates, about 2,000 Islamic State (IS) fighters continue to hide there.



Operation to liberate Mosul from ISIS

Air gates are open

At the end of February, Iraqi troops, with the support of international coalition forces, liberated Mosul airport from jihadists and thus opened their way to the western part of the city. Pictured: Iraqi police officers display a captured IS flag upside down.



Operation to liberate Mosul from ISIS

On land and in the air

In the fight against IS militants, the Iraqi armed forces use not only rockets, mortars and howitzers, but also drones, fighter jets and helicopters. US military personnel are also participating in the operation to liberate Mosul.



Operation to liberate Mosul from ISIS

Are the days of terrorists numbered?

Tens of thousands of Iraqi government troops are opposed by only a few thousand IS fighters. However, they hide deep underground, and also try to stop the enemy advance with the help of suicide bombers. Pictured: Iraqi soldiers examine one of the tunnels dug by the jihadists.

Operation to liberate Mosul from ISIS

away from home

This boy was forced to leave his village near Mosul and is now on his way to a refugee camp on the southern outskirts of the city, where he will be in relative safety. The United Nations estimates that the total number of refugees who have left Mosul could reach 250,000.

Militants of the Islamic State 1 terrorist group (banned in the Russian Federation) continue acts of vandalism against the cultural heritage of the Middle East. This time, the terrorists blew up the An-Nuri Cathedral Mosque in the Old City of Mosul, a well-known monument of the Arab Middle Ages.

An-Nuri Mosque was located in the western quarters of Mosul, where the terrorists for a long time offered fierce resistance, using underground passages and concrete tunnels under Mosul. As seen on made by correspondents Federal News Agency (FAN) in Mosul, the famous "humped" minaret of the mosque was one of the key dominants of Mosul, from which the terrorists fired sniper fire at the positions of the Iraqi army.

In addition, the An-Nuri Mosque in Mosul is one of the most important symbols for the Islamic State itself. On June 29, 2014, standing on the pulpit of the An-Nuri mosque, the leader of the terrorist group Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed the creation of the so-called "Islamic Caliphate" in the territories controlled by IS 1 in Syria and Iraq. Three years later, Islamic State forces in the Mosul area control only the Old City. Government troops could not seize the initiative here for a long time, getting bogged down in the narrow medieval streets. But, apparently, now the terrorists have completely lost faith in their victory in Mosul, destroying an important object for them with all their might, hastening to blame the coalition aviation for this atrocity.

Senior Research Fellow, Center for Arab and Islamic Studies, Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, Candidate of Historical Sciences Boris Dolgov in conversation with Federal News Agency (FAN) called the bombing of the An-Nuri mosque by militants an unprecedented act of vandalism .

“Islamic State militants have committed acts of vandalism before: for example, the destruction of historical monuments in Palmyra. But the blowing up of the An-Nuri Mosque, in which the “Caliphate” was proclaimed, is already a fact that goes beyond what was done before even by ISIS militants” 1 .

The expert notes that earlier objects of material and cultural heritage that belonged to other faiths were destroyed, which was explained by the dogma of Tawhid - the unity and uniqueness of Allah. The dogma says that Allah is the only deity that can be worshiped. But this dogma was naturally distorted by ISIS militants: they destroyed historical monuments that personified other confessions or other directions of Islam. And now the An-Nuri Sunni mosque has come under attack from terrorists.

“Of course, it must be said that a historical monument of medieval Islamic culture was destroyed. The fact that it was destroyed by ISIS militants, I do not regard as an act of desperation or an end to the struggle. This action, in my opinion, was aimed at preventing coalition and Iraqi troops from entering this mosque. But of course, this also indicates that the terrorists, resorting to such measures, are on the verge of military defeat.”

The FAN interlocutor, however, warns against a victorious mood, since even with the military suppression of ISIS terrorists in the Old City of Mosul, the war against ISIS will not end:

"There will be partisan actions, there will be an attempt to create "sleeping" cells, the relocation of militants to other regions and other countries, so the issue of fighting ISIS is quite complicated."

Political scientist, director of the Institute of Contemporary State Development Dmitry Solonnikov commented Federal News Agency (FAN), why the terrorists were quick to blame the United States after the explosion of the mosque:

“We see that now the war is going on in the information field. Not only IS, but also other structures use the created, "fake" news, trying to spread it through their channels. Until recently, Islamic terrorist organizations have been able to carry out certain provocations, blaming their opponents for actions they themselves have committed. In this case, they tried to blame the US-led coalition. This is a standard technique that has been used many times and repeatedly succeeded.

The expert recalls that the news about the provocation could also have been beautifully filmed with participating extras and paid artists. Such stories were actively promoted by Al-Jazeera and CNN, rejoicing that they had such footage.

“The mosque was already preparing for the fact that it would soon be taken over. As a strategic object, as an information object, as a "center of power" for ISIS, it was already meaningless, and it was already necessary to get rid of it. They got rid of it this way, killing two birds with one stone: they got rid of the object and tried to blame it on the US coalition. But in this situation, they were outplayed in the information field.”

1 The organization is prohibited on the territory of the Russian Federation.