Syriac Christian communities: people, monuments and manuscripts in Syria, Turkey, and Iraq

Part of the Conflict and Cultural Heritage Conference. Theme 1: What is happening? The significance of sites at risk, and the current situation. with Dr Sebastian Brock and Sebastien de Courtois. Dr. Brock (Oriental Institute, Oxford University) speaks about some of the living Syriac Communities of the Middle East, introducing who they are, and their manuscripts. This presentation is based on Sebastien de Courtois' own experience as a journalist who was present in Northern Iraq in the summer 2014. He mentions the destruction of the Yezidis sanctuaries in Sindjar; the destruction of churches and Syriac monasteries in the plain of Niniveh; but also the heroic action of Father Najeeb who saved thousands of old manuscripts from Mosul and the city of Qaraqosh. Then he shows pictures of the very old Synagogue of Al qosh, in the Kurdistan area. Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

Om Podcasten

The Conflict and Cultural Heritage Conference aims to raise public awareness and develop understanding of the issues surrounding the protecting of cultural heritage at risk from armed conflict. Focussing on the Middle East, the area currently undergoing the greatest destruction and where the heritage is most at risk, we aim to demonstrate the importance of the heritage, why its destruction matters, and what can be done. Topics to be explored will include the material heritage of the region from international and local perspectives, and the living heritage of communities with rich and longstanding traditions, before exploring why such destruction is happening, and the beliefs that underlie extremist practices. Focus will then move to an overview of what is being done already, and what more the international community can do. This free conference is intended to provide information from a variety of cultures, perspectives, and organisations, including academics, archaeologists, the military, and the media, raising awareness of the multi-cultural nature of Middle Eastern heritage, and its global relevance in the past and today.