An Iraqi army soldier walks among historic ruins destroyed by Islamic State militants in the Assyrian city of Nimrud, south of Mosul, Iraq, Nov. 16, 2016. (photo by REUTERS/Ari Jalal)
ishtartv.com
- al-monitor.com
By Wassim
Bassem, August 7, 2017
Iraqi
authorities announced last month that UNESCO has started the first stage of
the restoration of the ancient city of Nimrud, which is located on the banks of
the Tigris River, about 20 miles south of Mosul. The city was
liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in November 2016 and is the cradle of the
Assyrian civilization founded in the 13th century B.C.
In
2015, IS wreaked havoc on archaeological sites in the city, using
bulldozers and explosives to destroy monumental landmarks, while filming all
these acts of vandalism and destruction. According to a press statement by Qais Rashid, the undersecretary of
the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities, following
Nimrud's liberation, 70% of the city’s antiquities were
destroyed. Moreover, Iraqi army Maj. Gen. Diyaa Kazem al-Saidi, who took part in the liberation of
the city, said that 200 ancient paintings were stolen from Nimrud.
The
relics around Mosul, including the ones in Nimrud, were discovered in 1845 by
British archaeologist Henry Layard and Chaldean Mesopotamian archaeologist
Hormuzd Rassam, who uncovered significant Assyrian relics in Ninevah. The
discovered relics include the statue of the winged bull
and the Library of Ashurbanipal.
On
March 6, 2016, the Iraqi Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities confirmed that IS
had deliberately demolished Nimrud for ideological reasons. This
prompted Director-General of UNESCO Irina Bokova to confirm
her support for the city on Nov. 25, 2016, the day
Nimrud was liberated from the clutches of IS. Bokova stressed
that UNESCO must help protect Iraq’s heritage from further looting and
destruction, calling for an assessment of the inflicted damage.
The
Nimrud reconstruction project coincides with the launch of the Ministry of
Planning and Development Corporation's 10-year reconstruction plan of the liberated areas,
scheduled to start in early 2018, at an estimated cost of $100 billion.
Earlier
this summer, the UNESCO mission visited the archaeological site of Nimrud and
conducted preliminary inspections of the site to determine ways to proceed.
Faleh
al-Shammari, the head of the Department of Antiquities for Ninevah
province, told Al-Monitor, “The committees formed by the Antiquities and
Heritage Authority have begun to document the damage caused to the
archaeological sites in the liberated areas — namely the city of
Nimrud. This is the first step for the UNESCO reconstruction project.”
Shammari
said, “In fact, the rehabilitation process has already begun with the
construction of a 3-meter-high modern security fence around the city and
strengthening the security points around the fence to prevent any breaches by
citizens of nearby areas. Operations have been launched to demine the area and
remove any booby traps and bombs, to create a more secure environment for the
UNESCO project."
He
added, “The American Smithsonian Institution has begun to assess the
damage caused to the destroyed artifacts and relics so they can be restored in
an appropriate manner, starting with the palace of Assyrian King Ashurnasirpal
II — whose remains are scattered around it after IS tried to
destroy it.”
Shammari
noted that broken archaeological artifacts are being transferred to a
secure storage area.
The
US government announced June 28 that it intends to send a team of
experts to Iraq to assess the damage caused to the archaeological city of
Nimrud. Mark Taplin, the director of the US Department of State's
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, said, “The bureau granted the
Smithsonian Institution $400,000 for the preliminary work [in Iraq].”
Iyad
al-Shammari, a member of the parliamentary Committee on Tourism and
Antiquities, told Al-Monitor, “Operations have been launched to secure the
city, categorize the relics and determine the extent of the damage, and
this information will be presented at the donors’ conference scheduled for
September in Paris to obtain adequate grants for the restoration of
Nimrud, in addition to funds earmarked by UNESCO.”
He
added, “Until the necessary funds are approved, the Iraqi teams are collecting
the scattered artifacts and sculptures and rehabilitating what was
destroyed by IS. As part of the Iraqi plan for the reconstruction of Nimrud,
the Iraqi state is keen to approach international bodies that have
expressed their willingness to contribute to the reconstruction and
rehabilitation of the archaeological sites, including Italy and the United
States."
The
lawmaker noted, “The plan also includes the training of local cadres on
how to deal with the damaged sites and relics, and how to repair and
rebuild them properly, without affecting their historical value."
On
May 13, Dario Franceschini, the Italian minister of
cultural heritage and activities and tourism, handed over to his
Iraqi counterpart, Farid Rwandzi, the final report of the aerial
survey of the destroyed antiquities in Mosul and other Iraqi areas, which was prepared by a
specialized Italian team in coordination with UNESCO.
Head
of Babil Antiquities, Hussein Falih, told Al-Monitor, “The Babil
antiquities department is ready to provide expertise and cadres to contribute
to the reconstruction of the city of Nimrud and other affected archaeological
sites.”
The undersecretary
of the Iraqi Ministry of Culture told the media on Nov. 14, 2016, “Despite the
massive destruction of Nimrud, Iraq is capable of restoring the site to its
previous glory.” However, this does not only require the support of
UNESCO, but also funds from within Iraq and the training of locals
who can take on the rehabilitation of Nimrud and other archaeological
sites.
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