Gordion Newsletter 2011

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Gordion Newsletter 2011 October 2019 Iraqi Institute students learning methods for safely lifting damaged stone sculptures for conservation. The heritage of ancient Mesopotamia, city of Babylon, 19th-century Ottoman old Assyrian ruins that stood just outside the “cradle of Western civilization,” is homes, and historic souks document the ISIS-occupied Mosul. The demolition vitally important to the people of Iraq. complex web of faiths, empires and trade came amidst a wave of ISIS vandalism Iconic sites throughout the country, that have shaped Iraq. against ancient sites in northern Iraq. including the famed temples of Babylon, In recent times, this history has Even before the ISIS campaign the ziggurat at Ur, and the palace at suffered greatly. On April 11, 2015, the to destroy cultural heritage, historical Nimrud, capital of the Assyrian empire, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) sites suffered from decades of neglect, chronicle early human history and the released a video of the ancient city of violence, and instability that have further roots of western civilizations. Religious Nimrud erupting in a colossal cloud of compromised conservation efforts. In one and secular structures such as the spiral dust. After attacking ancient sculptures of the most notorious examples, looters minaret at Samarra, the Yazidi temple with sledgehammers and power tools, the took thousands of objects from the Iraq at Lalesh, the Erbil citadel, the ancient terrorist group detonated the 3,000-year- National Museum in the early days of the 1 U.S. invasion of Baghdad in 2003. community’s sense of identity and Delaware, the Smithsonian Institution, These besieged Iraqi sites and cohesion as well as destroy livelihoods. and other organizations to create the artifacts represent world heritage, but Iraqis are committed to preserving Iraqi Institute for the Conservation they also hold inestimable value for this amazing heritage; losses from of Antiquities and Heritage (IICAH). local communities. Cultural heritage looting of the National Museum and The Iraqi Institute seeks to address is an important economic driver, and ISIS destruction would have been these problems by educating Iraqis in these sites are vital to local economies. far worse had Iraqis not, at great conservation and preservation, and by Heritage sites beautify cities, spur personal risk, removed and hidden inviting professionals from around the infrastructure development, attract many valuable artifacts. Iraq remains world to share their expertise in courses visitors, create jobs, and raise incomes an extraordinarily rich cultural and taught at the Institute (Figure 1). for communities. A shared cultural historic repository with important IICAH’s mission is to help rebuild heritage and the commitment to museums, historic structures and Iraq’s cultural heritage sector by preserve it can also serve as a powerful thousands of undiscovered and providing Iraq’s museum and heritage unifying force for disparate groups. A unexplored sites. Since 2008, they professionals with in-country training blow to heritage can shake an entire have partnered with the University of in the preservation and conservation Figure 1: A relief at the site of Nimrud damaged and abandoned by ISIS. 2 October 2019 of their cultural heritage. Students and other faiths, all drawn together by a need to continue to advance their own are drawn from the active ranks of shared passion for the preservation of one knowledge and rebuild their country.” the Iraqi State Board of Antiquities of the world’s oldest civilizations. and Heritage (SBAH), the General At the Institute, participants Professional Training Directorate of Antiquities under the spend up to six months learning Kurdistan Regional Government the foundations of cultural heritage Preserving heritage is a complex job (KRG), provincial antiquities protection. The teachers provide a that requires a varied toolbox that can departments, and university faculty range of instruction to help students be applied to a wide variety of materials, and staff. IICAH students are already develop the tools they need to manage so students receive instruction relevant working in positions where they can and preserve Iraq’s heritage. Many to historic and archaeological objects, apply their newly acquired training participants have used their new historic architecture, and archaeological and access to international networks. skills to advance their careers, and sites. During an introductory course The Institute, located in Erbil, the Institute alumni now support research entitled “Fundamentals of Heritage capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, expeditions in the region led by Conservation,” participants learn is a well-equipped modern educational archaeologists from such institutions everything from international standards facility offering programs reflecting as the University of Chicago, Johns for conservation and basic material international standards (Figure 2). Hopkins University, and Harvard science, to preventive conservation, and Courses are taught by international University. As Jessica S. Johnson, Head photographic documentation techniques. experts and Iraqi teaching assistants using of Conservation at the Smithsonian’s The courses prepare participants local resources and materials. IICAH Museum Conservation Institute to identify, document, and stabilize participants include men and women (MCI) and a program facilitator at the vulnerable heritage—the essential skills from across Iraq: Arabs and Kurds, Institute, describes it: “We’re working to conserve sites for future generations. Sunni and Shia, Christians, Muslims, to give Iraqis the building blocks they Subsequent courses deal with more Figure 2. The Iraqi Institute for the Conservation of Antiquities and Heritage (IICAH). 3 specialized topics such as conservation of professional conservation network within locally relevant solutions in their archaeological ceramics, advanced GPS Iraq. Iraqi conservators are the local classes. “We actually train with the training for documenting archaeological experts on their own past, and by offering Iraqis on site with the equipment sites, and stabilization techniques for the latest tools, the IICAH programs they’re going to be using,” says Jessica historic structures. enhance their ability to react to crises. S. Johnson. By collaborating directly The ultimate goal is to support a The instructors work to provide with the people who will ensure the preservation of Iraq’s heritage, and by visiting local sites to understand the challenges facing conservation, the instructors are able to identify the tools their students need most (Figure 3). Some participants have used skills from IICAH programs to advance their careers. Nihayet, who works at a local museum in Erbil, became a Master Trainer (teaching assistant) at the Institute in 2010, supporting the instructors and sometimes running courses on her own (Figure 4). Now, she’s using her experience to train conservators at her museum and has set up a conservation department to serve the entire Erbil province. “My experiences at the Institute help me to teach others how to keep the artifacts safe in the museum and to advise Iraqi archaeologists on the safest way to lift fragile artifacts they find during excavations.” The dedication of the participants is impressive. Everyone who attends a program at the Institute sacrifices to be there—traveling to an unfamiliar environment or spending time away from work and family. As entry and mid-career professionals, many students have a spouse and children, and must arrange support for their families while they are away from their jobs. Since participants come from every part of Iraq, many must travel hundreds of miles from their homes to Erbil, even through risky situations. The participants insist on making the most of every minute. When ISIS came within half an hour of Erbil in 2014, Figure 3. IICAH students visit the 12th century Choli Minaret in Erbil. Dr. Katharyn Hanson (International 4 October 2019 Cultural Heritage Researcher, MCI) programs. The Institute, a modern heritage sector took place over several tried to cancel her class so participants educational facility, is in the heart of decades of war and neglect. Prior could call their families, but they insisted Erbil, the largest city in the Kurdistan to 1980, Iraq boasted a robust and on staying. “It was like a little mutiny in Region of Iraq and home to the ancient internationally recognized cultural the classroom—you told us we’d learn 8,000-year-old Erbil citadel, one of Iraq’s heritage sector staffed by career about GPS units, we want to learn about five World Heritage Sites (Figure 7). professionals with advanced degrees GPS units,” Katharyn recalls. “That The degradation of Iraq’s cultural and decades of experience in museum sums up the whole level of dedication— with ISIS only 30 minutes away, they wanted me to teach (Figure 5).” Now that Iraqi forces have pushed ISIS out of Mosul and many important heritage sites, planning and training for the rescue of these sites has begun. In April 2017 the Smithsonian inaugurated the Nimrud Rescue Project with funding from the U.S. State Department and private donors to document and stabilize the recently freed ancient city. A storage building and support facilities have been constructed, and a cadre of Iraqis, trained at IICAH with the support of the Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture and Design, has begun the long task of systematically mapping the damage, Figure 4. Nihayet discusses way to accurately
Recommended publications
  • The Archaeology of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and Adjacent Regions
    Copyrighted material. No unauthorized reproduction in any medium. The Archaeology of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and Adjacent Regions Edited by Konstantinos Kopanias and John MacGinnis Archaeopress Archaeology Copyrighted material. No unauthorized reproduction in any medium. Archaeopress Publishing Ltd Gordon House 276 Banbury Road Oxford OX2 7ED www.archaeopress.com ISBN 978 1 78491 393 9 ISBN 978 1 78491 394 6 (e-Pdf) © Archaeopress and the authors 2016 Cover illustration: Erbil Citadel, photo Jack Pascal All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owners. Printed in England by Holywell Press, Oxford This book is available direct from Archaeopress or from our website www.archaeopress.com Copyrighted material. No unauthorized reproduction in any medium. Contents List of Figures and Tables ........................................................................................................................iv Authors’ details ..................................................................................................................................... xii Preface ................................................................................................................................................. xvii Archaeological investigations on the Citadel of Erbil: Background, Framework and Results.............. 1 Dara Al Yaqoobi, Abdullah Khorsheed Khader, Sangar Mohammed, Saber
    [Show full text]
  • The Kurdistan Region of Iraq
    WELCOME TO THE KURDISTAN REGION OF IRAQ Contents President Masoud Barzani 2 Fast facts about the Kurdistan Region of Iraq 3 Overview of the Kurdistan Region 4 Key historical events through the 19th century 9 Modern history 11 The Peshmerga 13 Religious freedom and tolerance 14 The Newroz Festival 15 The Presidency of the Kurdistan Region 16 Structure of the KRG 17 Foreign representation in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq 20 Kurdistan Region - an emerging democracy 21 Focus on improving human rights 23 Developing the Region’s Energy Potential 24 Kurdistan Region Investment Law 25 Tremendous investment opportunities beckon 26 Tourism potential: domestic, cultural, heritage 28 and adventure tourism National holidays observed by 30 KRG Council of Ministers CONTENTS Practical information for visitors to the Kurdistan Region 31 1 WELCOME TO THE KURDISTAN REGION OF IRAQ President Masoud Barzani “The Kurdistan Region of Iraq has made significant progress since the liberation of 2003.Through determination and hard work, our Region has truly become a peaceful and prosperous oasis in an often violent and unstable part of the world. Our future has not always looked so bright. Under the previous regime our people suffered attempted We are committed to being an active member of a federal, genocide. We were militarily attacked, and politically and democratic, pluralistic Iraq, but we prize the high degree of economically sidelined. autonomy we have achieved. In 1991 our Region achieved a measure of autonomy when Our people benefit from a democratically elected Parliament we repelled Saddam Hussein’s ground forces, and the and Ministries that oversee every aspect of the Region’s international community established the no-fly zone to internal activities.
    [Show full text]
  • Transformation of Erbil Old Town Fabric Asmaa Ahmed Mustafa Jaff
    International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, Volume 10, Issue 3, March-2019 443 ISSN 2229-5518 Transformation of Erbil Old Town Fabric Asmaa Ahmed Mustafa Jaff Abstract— The historical cities in a time change with different factors. Like population growth, economical condition, social unconscious as can be listed many reasons. Erbil the capital located in the north of Iraq, a historic city. The most important factor in the planning and urban development of the city, and it was the focus point in the radial development of the city and iconic element is old town Erbil was entered on the World Heritage Sites (UNESCO) in 2014. In order to preserve and rehabilitation of the old historical city and conservation this heritage places and transfer for future generation and to prevent the loss of the identity of the city. This research focusing on the heritage places in the city and historical buildings, identifying the city, also the cultural and architectural characteristic. Cities are a consequence of the interaction of cultural, social, economic and physical forces. Countries have to adapt to these social, economic, physical and cultural changes, urban problems in order to meet the new needs and urban policies. Urban transformations, economic activity, social urban spaces that have lost their functions and physical qualities. This thesis study reveals the spatial and socio-economic effects of urban transformation. Historical Erbil city, which is the urban conservation project, was selected as the study area and the current situation, spatial and socio-economic effects of the urban transformation project being implemented in this region were evaluated.
    [Show full text]
  • Under the Mortarboard
    SombrillaSPRING 2014 THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO Under the Mortarboard CELEBRATING 100,000 G RADUATES ON THE COVER: One of the thousands of recent UTSA graduates dis- plays her excitement on her mortarboard at the fall 2013 ceremony. COVER PHOTO: MARK MCCLENDON ON THIS PAGE: Students celebrate at the fall 2013 commencement. © EDWARD A. ORNELAS/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS/ZUMAPRESS.COM inSiDe Kicking It A simulator designed by UTSA students boils 12 down the science of football’s perfect kick. Under the Mortarboard Decorating mortarboards has become an unofficial highlight of commencement. As UTSA celebrates 100,000 graduates, meet the individuals behind some of the ceremony’s 16 unique mortarboard stories. Saving the Past In Iraq, two UTSA professors have joined 24 the effort to preserve ancient sites. The PaSeo CommuniTy TEACHING LET THE WORD 28 BIG UNIVERSITY’S 4 OUR FUTURE 8 GO FORTH SMALL START The teachers and Professor Ethan Get to know a few of faculty at Forester Wickman turns a the first to graduate Elementary exem- president’s words in 1974. plify the education into music. pipeline. 30 TRUCKIN’ 10 LET’S CIRCLE It TOMATO UNLOCKING One San Antonio UTSA alum Shaun 6 THE CLOUD middle school is Lee brings the farm- Cutting-edge tech- working with UTSA ers market to you. nologies come and UT Austin to UTSA. to change how 31 CLASS NOTES students are disci- Profile of commu- 7 ROWDY CENTS plined. nication studies Students can learn trailblazer Dariela money manage- ROADRUNNER Rodriguez ’00, M.A. ment techniques 14 SPORTS ’08; and Generations with this free Sports briefs; plus Federal Credit Union program.
    [Show full text]
  • URBICIDE II 2017 @ IFI IRAQ PALESTINE SYRIA YEMEN Auditorium Postwar Reconstruction AUB
    April 6-8 URBICIDE II 2017 @ IFI IRAQ PALESTINE SYRIA YEMEN Auditorium Postwar Reconstruction AUB Thursday, April 6, 2017 9:30-10:00 Registration 10:00-10:30 Welcome and Opening Remarks Abdulrahim Abu-Husayn (Director of the Center for Arts and Humanities, AUB) Nadia El Cheikh (Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, AUB) Halit Eren (Director of IRCICA) 10:30-11:00 Keynote Presentation Heritage Destruction: What can be done in Prevention, Response and Restoration (Francesco Bandarin, UNESCO Assistant Director General for Culture) 11:00-11:15 Coffee Break 11:15-12:45 Urbicide Defined Session Chair: Timothy P. Harrison Background and Overview of Urbicide II (Salma Samar Damluji, AUB) Reconstructing Urbicide (Wendy Pullan, University of Cambridge) Venice Charter on Reconstruction (Wesam Asali, University of Cambridge) 12:45-14:00 Lunch Break 14:00-15:45 Memory, Resilience, and Healing Session Chair: Jad Tabet London – Resilient City (Peter Murray, New London Architecture and London Society) IRCICA’s Experience Rehabilitating Historical Cities: Mostar, al-Quds/Jerusalem, and Aleppo (Amir Pasic, IRCICA, Istanbul) Traumascapes, Memory and Healing: What Urban Designers can do to Heal the Wounds (Samir Mahmood, LAU, Byblos) 15:45-16:00 Coffee Break 16:00-18:00 Lebanon Session Chair: Hermann Genz Post-Conflict Archaeological Heritage Management in Beirut (1993-2017) (Hans Curvers, Independent Scholar) Heritage in Post-Conflict Reconstruction: Assessing the Beirut Experience (Jad Tabet, UNESCO World Heritage Committee) Climate Responsive Design
    [Show full text]
  • The Intentional Destruction of Cultural Heritage in Iraq As a Violation Of
    The Intentional Destruction of Cultural Heritage in Iraq as a Violation of Human Rights Submission for the United Nations Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights About us RASHID International e.V. is a worldwide network of archaeologists, cultural heritage experts and professionals dedicated to safeguarding and promoting the cultural heritage of Iraq. We are committed to de eloping the histor! and archaeology of ancient "esopotamian cultures, for we belie e that knowledge of the past is ke! to understanding the present and to building a prosperous future. "uch of Iraq#s heritage is in danger of being lost fore er. "ilitant groups are ra$ing mosques and churches, smashing artifacts, bulldozing archaeological sites and illegall! trafficking antiquities at a rate rarel! seen in histor!. Iraqi cultural heritage is suffering grie ous and in man! cases irre ersible harm. To pre ent this from happening, we collect and share information, research and expert knowledge, work to raise public awareness and both de elop and execute strategies to protect heritage sites and other cultural propert! through international cooperation, advocac! and technical assistance. R&SHID International e.). Postfach ++, Institute for &ncient Near -astern &rcheology Ludwig-Maximilians/Uni ersit! of "unich 0eschwister-Scholl/*lat$ + (/,1234 "unich 0erman! https566www.rashid-international.org [email protected] Copyright This document is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution .! International license. 8ou are free to copy and redistribute the material in an! medium or format, remix, transform, and build upon the material for an! purpose, e en commerciall!. R&SHI( International e.). cannot re oke these freedoms as long as !ou follow the license terms.
    [Show full text]
  • Protecting Cultural Property in Non-International Armed Conflicts: Syria and Iraq
    Protecting Cultural Property in Non-International Armed Conflicts: Syria and Iraq Louise Arimatsu and Mohbuba Choudhury 91 INT’L L. STUD. 641 (2015) Volume 91 2015 Published by the Stockton Center for the Study of International Law International Law Studies 2015 Protecting Cultural Property in Non-International Armed Conflicts: Syria and Iraq Louise Arimatsu and Mohbuba Choudhury CONTENTS I. Introduction ................................................................................................ 641 II. Why We Protect Cultural Property .......................................................... 646 III. The Outbreak of the Current Armed Conflicts and the Fate of Cultural Property ....................................................................................................... 655 A. Syria ....................................................................................................... 656 B. Iraq ......................................................................................................... 666 IV. The Legal Landscape in Context ............................................................. 670 A. Obligations on the Parties to the Conflict ....................................... 671 B. Consequences of a Failure to Comply with Obligations ............... 685 V. Concluding Comments .............................................................................. 695 I. INTRODUCTION O n June 24, 2014, a month after ISIS1 leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi de- clared the formation of an Islamic Caliphate stretching from northern
    [Show full text]
  • Prophet and Profit Left Nimrud, Before the Explosions
    special report ABOVE The Assyrian palace at Nimrud is blown up by Islamic State militants. Prophet and profit LEFT Nimrud, before the explosions. Experts in the field report from Iraq and Syria on the archaeology lost to Islamic State ideology, and looting to fund terrorism. n her memoir Come Tell Me How You Live, Agatha Christie, of tribute from defeated enemies. Though finds from earlier wife of the British archaeologist Max Mallowan, describes excavations now adorn some of the great museums of the world the happy life of the expedition digging at Chagar Bazaar in – the Iraq Museum, the British Museum, the Louvre – an inspired Ithe Jezirah region of north-eastern Syria. The idyllic scene she programme of excavation and restoration in more recent decades paints was interrupted by WWII, but afterwards they returned had created a unique archaeological park in which one could to the Near East and went on to excavate at Nimrud in a project actually walk round an Assyrian palace with many of its sculptures that was to become one of the defining contributions of British in situ. Tragically this is no more. The building has been largely archaeology in the 20th century. How horrified they would be to destroyed by Islamic State (IS), whose infamous video shows see what has become of that wonderful place. them prising sculptures off the wall, smashing others, and finally Nimrud is unquestionably one of the most important sites blowing up this monument. of the ancient world, a capital city of ancient Assyria through Hatra, 70 miles southwest of Mosul and a jewel in the desert, its time of high empire in 9th-7th centuries BC.
    [Show full text]
  • Picking up the Pieces
    PICKING UP THE PIECES Confronting heritage trauma in the post-conflict national museums of Syria and Iraq A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of Humanities Leiden University In Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts and Culture Name: Tommi Arbiv Student Number: S2253585 Email address: [email protected] First reader: Dr Mirjam Hoijtink Specialisation: Contemporary Art in a Global Perspective Academic year: 2018/2019 Abstract This thesis follows the trajectories of two museums, the National Museum of Damascus and the Iraq Museum in Baghdad, across the past two decades, to investigate the extent to which notions of nation, national heritage and the public good have come to be evaluated before, during and after conflict. Charged with pride and burdened with pain, the material heritage of this region in many ways stood at the centre of the conflicts of the past twenty years, and would come to define the future of the nations of Syria and Iraq. Tracing the histories of the two national museums, from closure to reopening, through the vantage point of the antiquities in their collections, this thesis strives to illustrate how Syrian and Iraqi heritage has been appropriated and narrated in strategic and contested ways by a diverse network of invested actors, both locally and globally. Drawing on exhibitions and press material surrounding pivotal events in these museums’ biographies, this thesis argues that in suppressing the legacy of pain and trauma with which their patrimonies are inscribed, local and international culture professionals impeded post-conflict healing and inadvertently acted against the interest of the public good.
    [Show full text]
  • Report on the Situation of Cultural Heritage in Iraq up to 30 May 20031
    Report on the situation of cultural heritage in Iraq up to 30 May 20031 BACKGROUND In line with its constitutional mandate in the field of cultural heritage and following diplomatic actions in order to alert the coalition authorities to the damages to the cultural heritage of Iraq as a result from the conflict, the Director-General convened at UNESCO Headquarters the first meeting of high-level international experts on the cultural heritage of Iraq (17 April 2003) to respond to the alarming situation affecting the cultural heritage of Iraq as a result from the conflict. The meeting had the following 3 objectives: (i) to coordinate the international scientific network of experts on Iraqi cultural heritage; (ii) to formulate guidelines for a consolidated strategy in the field of post-conflict intervention and rehabilitation of the cultural heritage of Iraq; (iii) to devise an emergency safeguarding plan. Following the recommendations of the above-mentioned meeting, a second meeting organized upon the initiative of the British Museum in London (29 April 2003), focusing on the situation of the Iraqi National Museum in particular and the need to restore inventories. Upon the approval of Office for Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA) and in close collaboration with the US Observer Mission to UNESCO, the Director-General called for the organization of an urgent expert mission to assess the extent of damage and loss to cultural property in Iraq and elaborate a first report on the state of Iraqi cultural heritage. The UNESCO experts’ mission visited Baghdad, from 17 to 20 May 2003. PARTICIPANTS The first UNESCO mission to Iraq was led by Mr Mounir Bouchenaki, Assistant Director- General for Culture of UNESCO.
    [Show full text]
  • The-Guide-Kurdistan.Pdf
    INSIDE : Essentials | Where to Stay | Food & Drink | Health & Wellness | Where to Shop | Luxury Brands | Events The Guide KURDISTAN An eye on the people, places, culture, and lifestyle in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. INVEST IN GROUP INVESTAN EYE ON THE EMERGING IN WORLD GROUP AN EYE ON THE EMERGING WORLD Basic Info 2 The Guide: Kurdistan The Guide KURDISTANAn eye on the people, places, and lifestyle in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Social & Cultural Opportunities in the Kurdistan Region Many know the Kurdistan Region as a developing player rich in both nat- ural resources and economic opportunities. Indeed, with over $30 billion Contents invested in the growth of the Region and significant oil and gas deposits fueling speculation of massive revenue, the Kurdistan Region has be- 4-6 Essentials come a recognized and strategic location for international development. All the basic information you need to know Kurdistan is also a growing cultural entity, and is home to numerous destinations worthy of international attention. In Erbil, the capital city of 7-9 A Tradition of Inclusion the Kurdistan Region, there are abundant luxury hotel facilities, refined City Profiles: Erbil & Slemani & Duhok dining options, and lavish shopping opportunities. The Slemani gover- norate has long been heralded as the cultural capital of Kurdistan, and 10-12 Where to stay boasts numerous museums, universities, and cultural festivals. The rolling Experience the distinguished hospitality mountains and flowing rivers of the Duhok governorate make it an ideal destination for tourists seeking opportunities off the beaten path. 14-16 Food & Drink With that in mind, we present “The Guide”, a comprehensive review Upscale venues offering the finest internation- of the social and cultural lifestyle opportunities available in this new al cuisine, as well as the best bars and night investment destination.
    [Show full text]
  • Google and the World Monuments Fund Highlight Iraqi Heritage Under
    AiA Art News-service Google and the World Monuments Fund highlight Iraqi heritage under threat Using drone footage, 3D models and videos, the tech giant is working with cultural institutions to make preservation efforts accessible to a larger public HELEN STOILAS 6th June 2018 05:20 GMT Scorched vehicles at the foot of the destroyed Al-Hadba' Minaret in Mosul, Iraq Courtesy of the World Monuments Fund The World Monuments Fund (WMF) in New York has partnered with the tech giant Google on a series of online exhibitions and stories that highlight efforts to preserve Iraq’s built heritage. Launched on the Google Arts & Culture platform today, the project includes drone footage of ancient sites and structures like the ziggurat in Borsippa and the Archway of Ctesiphon, 3D models of now lost architecture, like Babylon’s famous Ishtar Gate, and documentation of sites that have been damaged or destroyed by Isis, including Nimrud, Hatra and Mosul. Working with Google “allows us to reach a wider audience and enables us to tell a richer story by virtue of the technology assistance they provide,” says Lisa Ackerman, the executive vice president and COO of World Monuments Fund. “It’s an extraordinary opportunity to share knowledge with others, and it helps the public understand more fully why places matter and how they are connected to cultural identity. Given the turmoil of the last decade in the Middle East and the violence that is still evident in so many places, the platform is a reminder that the news we read connects to people and places living near those sites.” Among the most dramatic stories on the site is the destruction of the Al-Hadba' Minaret and the Great Mosque of al-Nuri in Mosul by the Islamic State during its occupation of the city.
    [Show full text]