Restoration of Moroccan mosque marks the first anniversary of the CER Fund

October 2004 -
Mosque of Mestassa
Photo: Mohammed Cheikh

On the first anniversary of the Cultural Emergency Response (CER) on 24 September, the town of Mestassa (Northern Morocco) was given a grant of 25,000 euros to allow its local residents to restore their 14 th Century mosque so that it could continue to fulfil its role as the centre of village life. The earthquake in February 2004 had brought down the houses of many emigrants who had returned from the Netherlands. The mosque survived but sustained cracks in its structure.

Cultural Emergency Response was set up a year ago at the initiative of the Prince Claus Fund and the International Committee of the Blue Shield. CER offers emergency aid when cultural works have been destroyed or damaged by a natural disaster or human violence. Other projects that CER has supported over the past year include the restoration of the reading rooms in the university library in Baghdad and the renovation of the Iranian Cultural Heritage Organization archive rooms.

Entrance of the University Library in Baghdad,
location: Al-Waziriye
Photo: Wishyar Mohammed