Back to Iraq Part II
Author Dr. Adhid Miri points out the sign welcoming visitors to Alqosh.
By Dr. Adhid Miri
In many countries throughout history, thousands of villages have been deserted for a variety of reasons. Abandonment of villages is often related to epidemic, famine, climate change, economic depression, war, environmental destruction, or in the case of the Islamic State genocide in 2007 and 2014, deliberate ethnic cleansing.
On my recent journey to Iraq, I visited Christian villages like Tel-Keppe (Telkaif), Alqosh, Batnaya, Telskuf, and Baqoofa. These villages had mostly been spared from modern development. Riding around the old part of these towns one can see old mud and brick homes, which was the style before the age of concrete. The old homes blend perfectly with the colors of the surrounding landscape.
These little villages are good places to meet local people. Visiting the town market, public cafes, and churches increases the chances of meeting someone who speaks the Sureth dialect and wants to practice their English.
If you are looking for a souvenir of your trip, vases from the small towns are very popular. But these are not just ordinary vases; prior to refrigeration, these vases were a kitchen standard, dating back thousands of years. Vases were found by the Iraqi Directorate of Antiquities that date back to before 2000 BC.
Tel-Keppe
Tel-Keppe is a compound Aramaic name. It consists of “Tel,” which means hill and “Keppe,” which means stones. Thus, the meaning of Tel-Keppe is “the hill of stones.” According to Fr. Michael Jajjo Bizzi, there are Assyrian and Akkadian remains that are still waiting to be uncovered there.
The town has changed and sprawled over recent years. The old village seems to have been abandoned, although chickens roam here and there. I wandered in and out of the abandoned houses and went up on the roof of one that faces the main church. It had once belonged to my grandmother’s brother, Namou Arabo.
I looked out over the neighborhood, seeing the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Church and the main cemetery, Maqbarat Tel-Keppe, situated nearby the church and close to the famous Tel-Keppe tahini. Fields of wheat surround the village on all sides.
Tel-Keppe is an interesting place; you can walk down the deserted streets of a town that once had a population of nearly 10,000 people. You can feel a true atmosphere from the old past.
Today, the demographically changed village is a shadow of its glorious past. It is featured in numerous poems and songs that describe the decline of a village and the emigration of many of its residents to America.
The town of Tel-Keppe has faced Arabization since the early 60s. Under the Ba’athist rule Arabs began moving to Tel-Keppe while Chaldeans began moving to the big cities of Iraq, mainly Baghdad and Basra. The ISIS offensive in 2014 made things even worse for the town’s remaining residents. Most of its people fled to the Kurdistan region or fled Iraq entirely, allowing more Arabs to settle in the town.
In August 2014, the town was taken over by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), along with the nearby towns of Batnaya, Telskuf, Bakhdaida/Qaraqoosh, Bartella, and Kramlesh. ISIS looted homes and removed crosses and other religious objects from the churches. The Christian cemetery in the town was later destroyed.
ISIS’s occupation of 12 Christian-inhabited towns between 2014 and 2017 was the peak of this insurgency. Prior to the invasion, Tel-Keppe was a thriving town, rich with ancient culture and a population of 5,500. Since the invasion and eventual fall of ISIS in that region, only 47 families have returned, finding their homeland ravaged and their ancient cemetery in pieces.
Life after ISIS has been difficult for the people of Tel-Keppe and presents tragic challenges for Christianity in Iraq. The most pressing needs are in the villages rather than the major cities. Economic development tops the list. There is zero support from the KRG or central government.
Saving the cemetery
Maqbarat (Cemetery) Tel-Keppe is an historic landmark. Knowing the importance of this heritage site, ISIS destroyed the cemetery, inflicting unthinkable damage on Iraqi Christians’ cultural heritage.
This destruction of heritage was an integral part of the ISIS campaign. The centuries-old cemetery of Tel-Keppe, located on a hill behind the main church, was erased by bulldozers. Graves and monuments from the site were damaged during the rampage. The city’s main church, containing centuries-old manuscripts, was also ravaged.
For me, the cemetery was a sad sight to see. In their ruthless campaign ISIS completely demolished the site, digging up every grave in search of gold, rings, necklaces, and other jewelry. They found only bones and burial cloth. Three families restored and fixed their burial sites but most of the graveyard is still in disrepair.
Thanks to years of hard work and the dedication of the Shlama Foundation, its donors and 40 Michigan volunteers, portions of the rubble have been cleared. The entrance to the cemetery has been repaired and the sacred cross that stood at its gate for centuries has been carefully restored and re-erected.
Sidewalk reconstruction, installation of water pipes, and a motor for the well at the site are now completed as the first phase of the Tel-Keppe Cemetery Project, but there is still plenty of work to be done.
The church situation in Tel-Keppe is another sad story. There are three churches located on the same ground: the small old church that was fully burned down by ISIS; the middle church, which is restored and usable; and the large original church, which is abandoned and was used by ISIS as an ammunition and storage warehouse.
I had to switch vehicles, drivers, and security detail in order to go through two checkpoints (KRG and central government) beyond Telskuf to enter Tel-Keppe and Baqoofa and return. I was required to speak Arabic fluently to go through one checkpoint.
I met a few local Chaldeans, Sufian Abro and Sefwan Jarbo, along with the town priest, Father Shahir. Basim Bello, originally from Alqosh, has been the mayor of town for the last 18 years.
Less than 50 Christian families live in the town, which is now dominated by Muslims, Yazidis, and Shabaks.
Mayor Basim Bello has a plan to restore part of the old village homes and streets including 12 family neighborhoods - Abro, Asmar, Dikho, Giezy, Shayota, Samouna, Shammami, Shango, Mart Shamouni, Oro, Yalda, and Qashat. Most homes are without maintenance and in danger of collapse. Funding and support are needed from communities in the United States.
Alqosh
Alqosh is divided into four quarters: Sienna quarter to the west; Qasha quarter to the east; O’do quarter to the north; and Khachaicha (lower) quarter to the south. Alqosh is a Chaldean Catholic village and one of the few places where Aramaic is still spoken.
For centuries, Christians and Jews lived together in Alqosh, until the Jews were expelled in 1948. The Alqosh synagogue is one of the few standing synagogues left in Iraq, and the landmarks of Rabban Hormizd Monastery and Prophet Nahum Tomb are amazing attractions.
House of the prophet Nahoum Al-Alqoushi
Luckily, ISIS did not reach Alqosh and the historic Jewish burial site of prophet Nahum Al-Alqoshi was not desecrated nor even touched. The U.S. and other donors provided $2 million to restore and rebuild the historic landmark.
I met with Mayor Lara Zara and received updates and briefs about the status, needs, and priorities of the Christians in Alqosh, and the political and security situation in the region. According to Zara’s statistics there are 3,500 people living in Alqosh.
The top priority of the mayor is to keep the Christians in their towns and villages and to help reduce the immigration of families and youth from the township. Visas, once restricted due to COVID, are now open to the U.S., Canada, Sweden, and other European countries. The mayor lamented that two more families left Alqosh in recent months.
The mayor has a plan to distribute vacant land to the citizens of Alqosh to build modern homes in the town. Candidates must be Alqoshi with an Alqoshi father and mother.
Economic development tops the list of priorities. There are no government or job opportunities for graduates; most of the people’s skills and experiences are in farming. They want to build greenhouses but there are no hotels, restaurants, café’s, or malls in the town of Alqosh. Religious tourism is a favorite concept and strategic objective.
Alqosh needs a technical school, urgent care units (they have one old clinic), dentists, female doctors, and a surgeon (they have two visiting doctors only), a clinical lab, emergency ward, ambulances, EKG, imaging, sonar, and scanning units. They could also use a hospital - the nearest hospital and urgent care is 2 hours away in Erbil or Mosul!
We toured the Nahum site with Mayor Lara Zara and her staff. The mayor advocates for the restoration of 3-5 homes around the Prophet Nahum landmark, to be used as mini-fabric cultural village costume factories run by women. She hopes to attract investors and build a hotel on a vacant municipality property nearby the tomb.
Rabban Mar Hormzid Monastery
Rabban Hormizd Monastery is situated north of the Nineveh province, at the border of the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan. Dating back to 640 AD, the monastery sits carved into the Mount Alqosh mountainside. It is one of the holiest sites for Chaldean Catholics.
The imposing structure of the 1,400-year-old monastery can be seen upon climbing a long, winding road on the cliffs of Mount Alqosh. The path has been paved by generations of monks.
The monastery carved from the rocks seems like an oyster pearl in its shell. Over the centuries, local geopolitical rivalries have often disrupted the site’s peacefulness. In the mid-1700s, a slew of attacks from Kurdish forces rendered the site all but abandoned.
In 1828, its library, which was stocked with precious Syriac manuscripts, was looted and damaged. A new monastery was rebuilt in 1859 with the intention of improving its defense from attackers. The old sanctuary remains an important, historic site for Chaldean Catholic worship.
The sign welcoming visitors to Rabban Hormzid Monastery
Visiting the monastery, I saw no marks of fire in any of the cells. Some cells have a second small cave cut behind the larger one which is entered through an opening just large enough for a man of average size to crawl through.
They have neither doors nor any protection from inclement weather, and the chill which they strike into the visitor gives an idea of what those who lived in them must have suffered during the frosts of winter and the drifting rain. Some of them have niches in their sides or backs in which the monks probably slept, but many lack even these means of comfort.
The cells are separated from each other and are approached by narrow terraces. Some are perched in seemingly unapproachable places, unless other means of entrance existed in former days. They were accessed by the monks crawling down from the crest of the mountain and swinging themselves into them.
Nine patriarchal graves, from 1497 to 1804, are still located in the corridor that leads to the cell of Rabban Hormizd, who is also buried there.
Baqoofa – Telskuf
I conducted a short visit to both Baqoofa and Telskuf. Baqoofa is semi-vacant with very little commercial or residential activity; most of the Telskuf residents are displaced Christians from neighboring villages (Tel-Keppe, Batnaya, and Sharafiya). The population is a mix of Chaldeans and Assyrians.
Baqoofa, the smallest of villages, has a skeleton entry sign, almost empty of life! I did not see a single individual or business open. A new church is being constructed but largely unfinished with no construction equipment or builders on site.
Both towns are surrounded by huge fertile agricultural fields that seem to be abandoned. These towns have similar challenges. Both need investment and restoration.
Duhok, Zakho, and Delal Bridge
Delal Bridge, also known as Zakho Bridge or Pira Delal, is an ancient bridge over the Khabur River in the town of Zakho, which is part of the Dohuk Governorate in the northwestern part of the Kurdistan Region within the Republic of Iraq.
The name is derived from the Kurdish language, where ‘Pir’ means bridge, while ‘Delal’ means dear or beautiful. The date of construction is not well known even though it is believed that it was first built during the Roman era.
The present structure appears to be from a later date, most likely from the time of the Abbasid Caliphate that ruled the area between the years 750 and 1517. The total length is 115 meters (377 feet), while being 5 meters (16 feet) wide, it spans over the Little Khabur River with 5 different arches.
There are many legends behind the construction of this magnificent piece of architecture. A particularly gruesome one is that a very gifted craftsman built it and then to prevent him from constructing another as magnificent as this one, his hands were amputated. To add insult to injury, one of his nieces was buried under the bridge as a sacrificial offering.
Regardless of its origin, this carved limestone bridge is something extravagant for a small town in the northern part of Iraq. It has seen a lot of history, and should certainly be on your must-see list if you plan a visit to the country.
The Memories
Traveling to the Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq is, for me, many experiences intertwined with memories. It is the perfect way for someone like me to dig into ancestral roots and visit the towns their parents or grandparents came from. Exploring the churches and monasteries, enjoying the farmland, and seeing the villages helps to form a better understanding of ourselves, our beliefs, and our lives.
Travel to the region — explore, connect, plant an olive tree, restore an old village home, paint the churches, or make a new friend. I dare to imagine the wonder and feelings of connecting and visiting these places every few years.
Perhaps our Chaldean and Iraqi American community will support more youth groups trips. High school and university students in Michigan could be encouraged to work with and develop exchange programs with local schools and universities in northern Iraq and turn migration to education.
The Diaspora Chaldeans, Assyrians, and Syriacs must work together and improve their communication and cooperation with those in Iraq in general and those in the Nineveh Plain in particular. The Christians in Iraq must learn how to protect their towns and villages. If they continue to sell their lands to the first bidder, they will lose their villages and the last stand for Christians in the Nineveh Plain and Iraq.
I had a great time putting together this summary of my travel memories. I hope it can be an inspiration for all those who want to travel and will help others change their lives for the better.
Remember, don’t stop before getting to the hilltop.
Special editing by Jacqueline Raxter and Rand Isaq.