COVER STORY Iraq in the
COVER STORY Iraq in the Frame A photo essay of the homeland This beautiful statue of Jesus welcomes one to Shaqlawa, a historic city and a hill station in the Erbil Governorate in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. A city of approximately 25,500 people, Shaqlawa lies 51 kilometers to the northeast of Erbil, at the bottom of Safeen mountain. Situated between the Safeen and Sork mountains 1,066 meters above sea level, Shaqlawa is known for its waterfalls, trees, and greenery. Most the population are Kurds and Assyrians who belong to the Chaldean Church. PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILSON SARKIS In 2018, the ancient village of Alqosh (Alkosh) was rebuilt according to its historical shape, initiated by Danny Asmaro, an artist, musician, and architect, with the mission to document the 1,600-year-old lifestyle of his Christian ancestors in Mount Alqosh. There were 24 new old-style houses built as well as an old-style church. This tourist attraction, Anthography of Life (with a view of daily living styles) includes old agricultural machinery and tools, places of worship, and social gatherings areas, and teaches about traditional clothing and customs. 18 CHALDEAN NEWS FEBRUARY 2022
When Wilson and I first spoke, we both had a passion to get such a project started so we can share the rich Chaldean history with others.” – Klint Kesto Erbil is the capital and most populated city in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Its population is estimated to be around 1,200,000. Human settlement at Erbil may be dated back to the 5th millennium BC. At the heart of the city is the ancient Citadel of Erbil. The 7,000-year-old Assyrian citadel played a major role in history, and it was the target of every empire that subsequently ruled Mesopotamia. It is under a 5-year renovation project to rebuild unsecure walls and to create housing to simulate life before. The unfortunate thing is that the reconstructions have wiped out any mention or trace of its older history, and ties most of what it is seen to the Kurdish people. In July 2014, the Citadel of Erbil was inscribed as a World Heritage Site. Many of the Chaldean Catholics in the Detroit metropolitan area trace their origins to Tel Keppe. According to the estimates of a priest of Tel Keppe’s Sacred Heart Chaldean Rite Catholic Church, there were 10,000 worshippers in the late 1950s and this decreased to 2,000 around 2004. He said that “Many people don’t want to go from here; they cry that they have to go… But you almost have to leave these days because your family is probably already in Detroit.”
