Assyria’s cultural heritage in grave danger

Assyria’s cultural heritage in grave danger

ANA - Media desk

It seems that the fate of the indigenous Assyrians is not only to suffer slow and systematic annihilation but also their ancient cultural sites are subjected to the same slow deletion as if the world wants to erase the Assyrian civilization from world history. The following are the two sites of Ashur and Khinnis in Iraq which are in much danger of being lost forever from humanity’s heritage and history. Where are the people and organizations who are interested in preserving world heritage?

Ashur (Qal’at Sherqat) Governorate of Salah el-Din-Iraq

Date of Inscription: 2003
Criteria: (iii) (iv)

Inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger: 2003
Brief Description
The ancient city of Ashur is located on the Tigris River in northern Mesopotamia in a specific geo-ecological zone, at the borderline between rain-fed and irrigation agriculture. The city dates back to the 3rd millennium BC. From the 14th to the 9th centuries BC it was the first capital of the Assyrian Empire, a city-state and trading platform of international importance. It also served as the religious capital of the Assyrians, associated with the god Ashur. The city was destroyed by the Babylonians, but revived during the Parthian period in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD.
Threats to the Site:
Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) was inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger at the 27th session of the World Heritage Committee simultaneously with its inscription on the World Heritage List. When the property was nominated before the conflict, a large dam project threatened the site, which would have been partially flooded by a reservoir. While the dam project has been suspended by the current administration, the Committee considered that its possible future construction, as well as the present lack of adequate protection, justified the inscription of the site on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Justification for Inscription
Criterion iii: Founded in the 3rd millennium BCE, the most important role of Ashur was from the 14th to 9th century BCE when it was the first capital of the Assyrian empire. Ashur was also the religious capital of the Assyrians and the place for crowning and burial of its kings. Criterion IV: The excavated remains of the public and residential buildings of Ashur provide an outstanding record of the evolution of building practice from the Sumerian and Akkadian period through the Assyrian empire, as well as including the short revival during the Parthian period.
Iraq-Tourism – Aswat al-Iraq (VOI)
Iraqi ancient Assur (Ashur) city in danger of erosion
Baghdad, Aug 28, (VOI) – The Iraqi ancient city of Assur (Ashur) is exposed to partial collapse and erosion due to the high water level in river Tigris, Iraqi state ministry of tourism said on Monday.
"The high level of water in river Tigris passing the ancient city of Assur (Ashur) in Mosul has recently caused erosion to the river bank," said ministry media spokesman, Abdul-Zahra al-Talkani, in a statement received by the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
"The city historic and ancient residential landmarks are in the lower layers where the erosion and decay already started," the statement added.
The statement warned against the current critical situation appealing to Iraqi competent authorities "to take all necessary measures to save the historic city from decay and protect Iraq's history and heritage."

Kurds destroy unique world heritage in northern Iraq
Eastern Star News Agency

The Kurds are responsible for the systematic destruction of a Unique World heritage site in northern Iraq, belonging to the indigenous Assyrians of Iraq. The
Assyrians are the indigenous people of Iraq. They have lived in Iraq continuously through history, even before other peoples invaded and occupied the country. They have their own culture, their own language and their own customs that distinguish them from the majority society surrounding them.

Assyrians have been oppressed throughout history because of their Christian faith. Their lands have been stolen and they have been deported by force, their culture has been restrained and they have fallen victims to a genocide perpetrated by their neighbors, the Kurds and Turks.

This is still going on today, but in another way. This time the targets are historic remains from the great Assyrians civilization. A systematic destruction of unique monuments is taking place. In Khinnis, an area in northern Iraq, local Kurds have been using dynamite to reshape the area with the purpose to create a
good picnic place.

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