1.
SV People washing feet in front of A1 Aksa mosque in Jerusalem
0.10

2.
GV Man praying, bowing head towards Mecca
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3.
GV Aksa Mosque (2 shots)
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4.
CU Jay Bushinsky interviewing architect Isam Awwad
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5.
GV EXTERIOR Archway of mosque
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6.
GV & SV INTERIOR Mosque and man praying
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7.
GV & SV Stained glass windows (3 shots)
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8.
GV & SV INTERIOR Craftsmen doing restoration work (4 shots)
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9.
GV Various shots of area to be restored in mosque and original drawing of part of mosque (2 shots)
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10.
CU Sections of ???rnate carvings numbered to be rebuilt
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11.
GV Scaffolding against windows (3 shots)
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12.
GV Man walking PULL OUT TO mosque
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BUSHINSKY: "What is the scope of the restoration and repair work that is under way and that has been under way for the past few years?"



AWWAD: "Well, first of all we start with the part of the Aksa Mosque which was damaged with the fire in 1969. And we finished completely, stage one of the work there which is the construction work. And it is not, it was not a very easy job, really. It was a difficult thing to do because we have to do it also in a traditional way. And we have to find craftsmen hare in the West Bank and Jerusalem. And after completing it we are looking forward to starting the second stage, which is covering the interior walls with marble, mosaics and with wood for the ceiling. But what we need now, what we do not want really architects or engineers. What we want is some craftsman,a craftsman who can do some work here which nobody can do it here. We do not have anybody here who can do some kind of.....restoration works. And we know that in Egypt we have craftsmen there who can do the work. Now we have problems which our committee which is part of the Jerusalem (indistinct) and we decided to go to chat to the experts to examine the dome of the Aksa Mosque which is in my opinion of the Fatimidi period. And this needs a major restoration really and we do not have any specialists, and other Arab countries, and we are working towards this and afterwards concentrate on the budget which is very important."




Initials BB/2200



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: With the new Middle East Peace accord between Egypt and Israel, the Egyptian promise to send experts to help restore the fire-damaged A1 Aksa mosque in Jerusalem could be soon fulfilled. But according to the chief architect it could take from ten to 50 years to restore Islam's third holiest shrine.

SYNOPSIS: Moslems wash before they go in to pray. A1 Aksa Mosque is 1.200 years old. A fire set off by an Australian religious mystic seriously damaged it and now Isam Awwad is the architect in charge of its reconstruction.