Iraqi Church, German Scholars Strengthen Cooperation on Heritage Preservation

On October 20, 2025, Chaldean Patriarch Mar Louis Raphaël Sako received Dr. Margarete Van Ess, head of the German Archaeological Mission in Najaf, and Dr. Mohammed Hadi Badan, Director of the Najaf Antiquities and Heritage Inspectorate, at the Patriarchal Residence in Baghdad. Their meeting focused on protecting Iraq’s Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian heritage, a key component of the country’s ancient and diverse identity.

Dr. Van Ess outlined new discoveries from excavations at Hira, an early Christian and intellectual center in southern Iraq, and stressed the shared global responsibility to safeguard such sites. Dr. Badan highlighted the Najaf Inspectorate’s efforts to preserve historical and Christian landmarks through collaboration with foreign archaeological missions.

Patriarch Sako emphasized Hira’s pivotal role in the history of the Church of the East and its contribution to cultural and linguistic transmission from Greek to Syriac and Arabic during the Abbasid era. He called for the restoration of the ancient Church of Kokheh near Baghdad—one of the oldest Christian churches in the region—as a symbol of coexistence and Iraq’s enduring Christian roots.

The Patriarch announced plans to visit Najaf to support ongoing archaeological work and deepen cooperation between the Patriarchate, Iraqi antiquities authorities, and local government. Bishop Mor Basilios Yaldo commended the partnership between religious and academic institutions, describing it as a vital bridge between faith, scholarship, and national memory.