Though the Great Mosque fell into disuse after the Mongol invasion, the minaret stood strong and became an Islamic and Iraqi symbol. It remains one of the highest towers in the area, which led to its involvement in another war, this time nearly a millennium after the original mosque was ransacked. In 2005, American troops used the minaret as a vantage point for the area surrounding Samarra (via Atlas Obscura). The top of the minaret was bombed by insurgent forces, damaging the ancient tower, and sending clay debris crumbling down its signature spiral.
Some reasoned that the bombing was to drive out the American soldiers from using it, while others thought it was targeted specifically to further instigate the secular warfare that has plagued the Middle Eastern country in recent years. Iraqi officials were also keen to point out that the walls of the Great Mosque had been damaged by the Americans and their allies during their occupation of the ancient site (via BBC). The Great Mosque could end up being yet another archeological casualty of the Middle East crisis.
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