AMMAN, Jordan: Iraq has signed a multi-million-dollar deal with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Sunday June 24 to rebuild the holy Al-Askariya shrine in the holy city of Samarra that has been the repeated target of bombings.

Haqi Al-Hakim, an adviser to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki and a member of the committee that is in charge of rebuilding the shrine, signed the agreement on behalf of the Iraqi government in a brief ceremony at his country's embassy in the Jordanian capital.

Speaking to journalists in Amman, spokesman for the Iraqi government Ali Dabbagh said: "The first stage of rebuilding the shrine will start soon and is expected to be completed in 10 months at a cost of $8.4 million".

The holy shrine itself a UNESCO world heritage site, was all but destroyed by two attacks, most recently June 13.

The first bombing on 22 Feb, 2006 destroyed the shrine's golden dome. The follow-up attack earlier this month destroyed the shrine's two sacred gold-covered minarets.

Speaking alongside UNESCO Iraq representative Mohammed Djelid, Dabbagh said the first phase of reconstruction would begin once security in Samarra improved.

Dabbagh said the initial reconstruction would be jointly funded by the United Nations Development Group Iraq Trust Fund and the Iraqi government.