Erbil’s historic Choli Minaret will soon be renovated to preserve the 900-year-old landmark and boost tourism. The project, ...

‘The minaret is a symbol of a political and aggressive Islam,’ another lawmaker from the Swiss People’s Party, Oskar Freysinger, told BBC News earlier this year.

With a minaret towering even higher on the tree-filled skyline, the mosque will be even more visible. That could lead to further growth for ISB, which turns 55 this year.

The minaret’s significance “lies not in its religious context, but rather its historical value,” said Adil Sadik, an oil engineer from Basra.

Within the framework of the project “Safeguarding the Minaret and Archaeological remains of Jam – Phase I”, funded by the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH ...