Source: WikiMedia Commons
It is said that one person is never similar to another person in some parts of the world. Whereas in other parts, it is said that there are exactly 7 look-alikes of a person, but there are certain questions that the 7 billion humans would have had at least once in their life. “What Am I?”, “Where do we come from?”, “How did we become like this?”.
The modern human came into existence about 300,000 years ago. Yet humans started recording historic events only from about 6000 years ago, this means that only 2% of the history of mankind is known or has been recorded. Through this minimal amount of recorded history, do we come to know about our past?
Nevertheless recorded history is not the only source of our past. Monuments of stone and gold, stand witness to the magnificence of human history. Such monuments left by our ancestors have stood the test of time for centuries and millenniums. It is up to us to protect and preserve the antiquity of such structures.
As fate would have it is also due to us humans, some of the greatest monuments once upon a time, are now destroyed. Human conflict from time to time, and climatic conditions devastate the beauty of the symbols of the past. Sadly, in recent times, one of the oldest churches in the world is now falling apart in the scorching deserts of Iraq.
Said to be the Oldest eastern Christian Church, the Al-Aqiser Church present in the archaeological site, Ayn al-Tamar in Karbala, Iraq is now falling apart. The church whose Arabic name is Mini Palace is now nothing more than a dilapidated building in the deserts of Iraq.
Ayn al-Tamar
The archaeological site, Ayn al-Tamar houses the Al-Aqiser Church. Built in the 5th Century AD, this place is the witness to the ‘Battle of Ayn al-Tamar’ The battle was one of the many battles fought for the Muslim conquest of Persia and the campaigns of the Arab commander Khalid ibn al-Walid in the 6th Century AD.
The battle was fought between Muslim Arab forces and the Sassanians along with their Arab Christian auxiliary forces in 633 AD. The campaigns were done for Prophet Mohammed when he rose to prominence as a religious leader and was set on a mission to unite Arabia.
The ancient city of Ayn al-Tamar was originally called Safari, it’s an ancient Aramaic name that means “Pure Spring” or “Clear Water”. In 1938, it was renamed Ayn al-Tamar and is best known as the location of the Battle of Ayn al-Tamar.
Famous for its oasis, the city of Ayn al-Tamar comprises many villages which are famous for their beautiful palm orchards and crystal clear mineral water. Being one of the main sources of Dates, the city was once an important hub en route or Hajj during ancient times.
Not just the Palm Orchards, the city also contains many ancient monasteries and palaces, like the Al-Aqiser Church, Shimon ibn Jaber Palace, Bardawil Castle and Al-Ukhaidir fortress. These monuments stand as symbols of the cultural and architectural significance of modern-day Iraq.
Al-Aqiser Church Now In Ruins
The Oldest eastern Christian Church, the Al-Aqiser Church which until recently was used by the Assyrians of the Chaldean Catholic Church is now turning into ruins due to neglect from the government and erosion due to the climatic conditions of the desert.
Pope Francis made a historic visit to Iraq earlier this year in March. Many Iraqis believed that this would lead to many tourists flocking towards the Al-Aqiser Church. Their hopes however were in vain.
Having witnessed years of conflict, government negligence and climate change the Church is now crumbling in the country with a rich heritage. The church which stood in Ayn al-Tamr for more than 1,500 years is now only left with the falling brick and red rock walls.
“Climatic conditions and the fact that under the reign of Saddam Hussein the area encompassing Ayn al-Tamar was turned into a military firing range and the lack of regular conservation” are the reasons for the current state of the Al-Aqiser Church blames famous archaeologist Zahid Muhammad.
The mayor of Ayn al-Tamar, Raed Fadhel says the restoration and preservation is a debate of the budget. In a country not only battered by military conflict but also economic crises, the preservation of the monument requires an enormous amount of money compared to the meagre funds from the federal government.
The revival of this lost city would preserve the history and the antiquity of the country’s rich heritage. ‘ There was a time before Saddam Hussein came into power, back in the 1980s when the locals were employed in the excavations done by an American University, recall certain residents. This situation changed with Saddam Hussein coming into power.
The preservation of such monuments around the world requires the collective responsibility of people from all sections of society and not just the government. These pillars stand as a reminder about our past, culture and ancestors. We need to remember our past for a better future, as it is said in a quote, ”A page of history is worth a pound of logic.”
Written by - Chandrasekar
Edited by - Piyush Pandey
Edited by - Piyush Pandey
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