Mesopotamiens Institut

24/04/2026

Murdered but not erased - Genocide Remembrance Day 🕯️

👉🏼 Watch the documentary

8 likes. "Seyfo 1915 - The Assyrian Genocide"

11/02/2026

An introduction to Syriac-Aramaic language history.

12/01/2026

OP-ED: Iraqi Kurdistan Seizes Assyrian Land – Families Forced Out

Something is happening in northern Iraq that barely registers outside the region — yet for Assyrians, it is an existential threat. In the village of Bakhetme, more than 1,500 dunams (150 hectares) of land have been confiscated and are being transferred to Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and public employees. For the villagers, this is not paperwork or bureaucracy. It is their homes and their future.

All this comes as Iraq debates something historic: the implementation of Article 125 of the constitution — self-administration for Assyrians, on their land, in their homeland.

The land now being allocated is the same land Assyrians were stripped of by Saddam Hussein’s regime in the 1980s, when the village was emptied and converted into a military zone. After 1991, the villagers returned, rebuilt their homes and farms, and reclaimed their land through work, not force. Today — three decades later — they are losing that same land again, not to bulldozers, but to administrative decrees.

This is neither isolated nor accidental. It follows a clear pattern:
• Their representation in Iraq’s parliament is hijacked.
• Their cemeteries are vandalised — as in Shaqlawa, where crosses and nameplates were smashed.
• Their houses are demolished in historic Assyrian towns like Bartella.
• And in Bakhetme we see the final step: the land itself is taken.

Iraq’s leaders often speak of democracy and minority rights. But lofty phrases collapse when the people they are meant to protect are losing their homes with a signature on a document. A community that cannot keep its land cannot keep anything — not its holy places, not its schools, not its name.

It is also revealing to see what the world chooses to be outraged about. In other parts of the Middle East, opinion pages and UN halls fill with protests against settlement policies and demographic engineering.
But when the same mechanisms target Assyrians — confiscated fields, reassigned property, quiet administrative steps that slowly replace one population with another — the silence is almost total. No one uses words like occupation or colonisation, even though the outcome for those living there is the same.

In practice, a Kurdification of Mesopotamia is underway. As a Kurdish state-in-waiting expands on Assyrian ancestral land, the Assyrian space contracts. Assyrian and Kurdish struggles for self-determination should be able to move forward side by side — two stateless peoples with equal rights to self-rule — but reality shows a different logic. One people is building a state; the other is losing its home.

The villagers of Bakhetme are demanding three basic things:
• an immediate halt to land confiscation,
• the return of their property,
• and a justice system that finally delivers the protection it promises.

These are demands that should be self-evident. Yet in a country where minorities lack militias, lack political leverage, and lack protection, even the simplest rights become a fight for survival.

Bakhetme is not a local dispute. It is a warning sign. A people who survived genocides, massacres and terrorism are now being pushed out through paperwork and policy, by forces today dominated by Kurdish actors. The irony is almost unbearable.

Kurdish leaders speak of creating a “Christian administrative unit.” But carving out a Christian enclave only to fold it into KRG control is something Assyrians will never accept.
Assyrians demand self-administration in northwest Iraq — in line with Article 125 and Iraq’s own federal system.

Because if self-rule does not include protected land and genuine authority, then it is not self-rule — it is a façade.

https://bulletin.nu/debatt-irakiska-kurder-beslagtar-assyrisk-mark-familjer-kors-bort

02/01/2026

OPINION: Iraq’s Silent Genocide

Far from the glare of the world’s media, persecution of various ethnic groups is ongoing in northern Iraq — but none more persistently than the Assyrians. Harassment, injustice, vandalism, and hatred are slowly driving them from the land they have inhabited for thousands of years.

When Christian crosses are smashed on Assyrian graves in northern Iraq and historic Assyrian homes are demolished in the town of Bartella, the outside world is quick to speak of “isolated incidents,” “unfortunate events,” or “municipal measures.” For the Assyrians — one of the Middle East’s oldest peoples — the message is unmistakable: their presence is unwanted, their history is being erased, and their future is being made impossible.

This is not persecution in the traditional sense. It is eradication by administrative means.

In December, around thirty Assyrian graves were vandalized in Shaqlawa in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Crosses were shattered and name plaques destroyed. The authorities responded with a familiar script: rapid intervention, actively controlled information, and a media blackout. The incident was reduced to the actions of a single perpetrator. But Shaqlawa is no exception. Similar attacks have previously occurred in the same town, in Armota, and in Deralok, where an Assyrian church was attacked. In several cases, no suspects have been identified.

When hatred is repeated without consequences, it becomes permission. For a stateless people, the rule of law is not protection — it is stagecraft.

Attacks on cemeteries are not random. They target memory, continuity, and claims to place. When even the dead are attacked, the message to the living is clear: you do not belong here — neither now nor in history.

The same logic is evident in Bartella, a town with more than five thousand years of Assyrian presence. There, historic Assyrian homes are being demolished under the pretext of safety and urban planning. No independent heritage assessments have been conducted. No documentation. No local consultation. What disappears is not merely buildings, but the collective memory of a people.

Eradication in our time rarely occurs through mass slaughter. It proceeds through closed schools, confiscated land, hijacked political representation, desecrated graves, and destroyed historical environments. Each measure can be explained away in isolation. Together, they lead to the same endpoint: displacement and demographic collapse.

This is not new. In 1915, Assyrians were subjected to genocide. In 1933 came the Simele massacre. After 2003, mass emigration from Iraq began. In 2014, Assyrians were driven out by ISIS as both Iraqi and Kurdish forces withdrew. In 2025, the process continues — without bombs, without headlines, and without accountability.

The common thread is statelessness. The Assyrians lack self-rule, independent security, and real political power. As a result, their rights can be bypassed, their land confiscated, and their history negotiated away in the name of “stability.” A people without a state is always expendable.

The West bears a share of responsibility. The same actors who loudly champion human rights in other contexts effectively legitimize the structures that drive Assyrians from their homeland — through silence, selective outrage, and political and security support for local powerholders whose governance systematically disadvantages stateless minorities.

A people cannot survive on symbolic statements alone. Like every other people in the region that has ultimately been forced to do so, the Assyrians require what is necessary for survival: self-rule, security, and international guarantees. Without these, they will not return. They will disappear.

The question is not whether eradication is taking place. It already is.
The question is whether the world will once again claim it did not know.

https://bulletin.nu/debatt-iraks-tysta-folkmord

31/12/2023

On behalf of our board members, we wish you all a year of health and happiness!

Yeni yılda faaliyete geçecek olan enstitümüz adına hepinize sağlıklı, mutlu bir yıl dileriz!

26/10/2023

Mesopotamiens Institut’s Dr. Nurgül Çelebi is the next lecturer in the Nabu Circle Lecture series hosted by the Assyrian Cultural Foundation.

Join us on this insightful journey through Assyrian culture on November 15th at 6:00 PM (CST) via Zoom. Mark the date on your calendar and prepare yourself for an unforgettable conversation.

To register for this event, please click on the following link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIuce6rrTwuGdyfi-g3Y6lbxi2suFyckr3m

We are thrilled to introduce the next lecturer in the Nabu Circle Lecture series hosted by the Assyrian Cultural Foundation: Dr. Nurgül Çelebi. As a highly knowledgeable independent researcher in Hungary, Dr. Çelebi brings her sophisticated expertise to the topic, “The Duality of Sin and Shamash.”

Join us on this insightful journey through Assyrian culture on November 15th at 6:00 PM (CST) via Zoom. Mark the date on your calendar and prepare yourself for an unforgettable conversation.

The Assyrian Cultural Foundation strives to foster a deep, rich understanding of the Assyrian history and culture for individuals across the world. It is our pleasure to bring this in-depth knowledge to a global audience, and we look forward to doing the same during future lectures and events.

To register for this event, please click on the following link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIuce6rrTwuGdyfi-g3Y6lbxi2suFyckr3m

31/10/2022

Enheduanna also En-hedu-Ana; (c. twenty-third century B.C.E.) was an Akkadian princess and high priestess who was perhaps the earliest known writer in history. Identified as a daughter of King Sargon I, she was appointed high priestess of the moon god Nanna (Sîn) in his holy city of Ur. She became the most important religious figure of her day, and her evocative prayers, stories, and incantations, which were devoted to the goddess Inanna (Ishtar), were highly influential. She has been dubbed the "Shakespeare of Sumerian literature."

See: https://www.worldhistory.org/Enheduanna/

For the registration and details about our Women and Social Life in Mesopotamia online seminars, please send email to:

[email protected]

Enheduanna ya da En-hedu-Ana; (M.Ö 23. yüzyıl) belki de tarihteki en eski yazar olduğu düşünülen bir Akad prensesi ve yüksek rahibeydi. Kral I. Sargon'un kızı olarak bilinen Enheduanna, kutsal şehir Ur'da ay tanrısı Nanna'nın (Sîn) baş rahibesi olarak atanmıştır. Zamanının en önemli dini figürü haline dönüşmüş ve tanrıça İnanna'ya (İştar) adamış olduğu duaları, hikayeleri ve büyüleri oldukça etkili olmuştur. Öyle ki kendisi "Sümer edebiyatının Shakespeare'i" olarak adlandırılmıştır.

Bkz. https://www.worldhistory.org/Enheduanna/

Mezopotamya'da Kadın ve Sosyal Yaşam başlıklı online seminerimiz hakkında detaylı bilgi ve kayıt için [email protected] adresinden bize ulaşabilirsiniz.

25/10/2022

Ephrem the Syrian (Classical Syriac: ܡܪܝ ܐܦܪܝܡ ܣܘܪܝܝܐ; c. 306 – 373), also known as Saint Ephrem, Saint Ephraim, Ephrem of Edessa or Aprem of Nisibis, was a prominent Christian theologian and writer, who is revered as one of the most notable hymnographers of Eastern Christianity.
He was born in c. A.D. 306 in Nisibis (North-west of Mosul, Iraq). While some late sources claim that his father was a heathen priest who worshiped an idol called Abnil, his own writings affirm that he was raised in a Christian family.

See: https://syriacorthodoxresources.org/Personage/MEphrem/index.html #:~:text=Mor%20Ephrem%20the%20Syrian%2C%20the,raised%20in%20a%20Christian%20family.

For more information about our Classical Syriac courses and registration:

[email protected]

Süryani Efrem (Klasik Süryanice: ܡܪܝ ܐܦܪܝܡ ܣܘܪܝܝܐ; c. 306 – 373), aynı zamanda Aziz Efrem, Aziz Afrem, Edessa'lı Efrem veya Nisibis'li Afrem olarak da bilinir, önde gelen bir Hıristiyan ilahiyatçıdır . Doğu Hıristiyanlığının en önemli teologlarından olan yazar MS 306, Nisibis'te doğmuştur. Bazı geç kaynaklar, babasının Abnil adlı bir p**a tapan bir rahip olduğunu iddia ederken kendi yazıları onun Hıristiyan bir ailede büyüdüğünü anlatır.

Bkz.

https://syriacorthodoxresources.org/Personage/MEphrem/index.html #:~:text=Mor%20Ephrem%20the%20Syrian%2C%20the,raised%20in%20a%20Christian%20family.

Klasik Süryanice kurslarımız hakkında detaylı bilgi için bize ulaşın:

[email protected]

09/10/2022

Shamash, (Akkadian), Sumerian Utu, in Mesopotamian religion, the god of the sun, who, with the moon god, Sin (Sumerian: Nanna), and Ishtar (Sumerian: Inanna), the goddess of Venus, was part of an astral triad of divinities. Shamash was the son of Sin.
Shamash, as the solar deity, exercised the power of light over darkness and evil. In this capacity he became known as the god of justice and equity and was the judge of both gods and men. (According to legend, the Babylonian king Hammurabi received his code of laws from Shamash.) At night, Shamash became judge of the underworld.

For Details: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shamash

For our online courses Mesopotamian Beliefs and Mythos: [email protected]

Şamaş (Akadca) ya da Sümer adıyla Utu, Mezopotamya inanışlarında ay tanrısı Sin (Sümerce: Nanna) ve Venüs tanrıçası İştar (Sümerce: Inanna) ile birlikte astral üçlü olarak bilinen bir güneş tanrısıydı. Şamaş, Sin'in oğluydu.
Şamaş, güneş tanrısı olarak, karanlığın ve kötülüğün üzerinde ışığın gücünü temsil etmekteydi. Bu bağlamda adalet ve eşitlik tanrısı olarak hem tanrıların hem de insanların yargıcıydı. (Efsaneye göre, Babil kralı Hammurabi yasalarını Şamaş'tan aldı.) Geceleri Şamaş'ın yeraltı dünyasına hükmettiğine inanılırdı.

Detaylı bilgi için: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shamash

Mezopotamya İnanışları ve Mitosları Kursumuza kayıt için: [email protected] adresinden bize ulaşabilirsiniz.

04/10/2022

Bardaisan [Bardesan], who served in the court of King Abgar VIII (177-212 CE), is still the first known Syriac literary author. While he is said to have written works against Marcion, none of his works have been discovered other than "The Book of Laws of Countries" which was likely penned by his pupil, Philip. This work gained popularity and is quoted partially in Greek by Eusebius in his, "Preparation for the Gospel" (XI.10.1-48) and in the "Pseudo-Clementine Recognitions" (IX.19-29). Other sources for the writings of Bardaisan come from St. Ephrem's Hymns against the heresies, and his Prose Refutations.

For details see: http://syri.ac/bardaisan

For our online Classical Syriac Courses: [email protected]

Visit our website:
www.institutmesopotamie.com

Kral VIII. Abgar'ın (177-212 CE) sarayında hizmet etmiş olan Bardaisan, halen bilinen ilk Süryani edebiyat yazarıdır.

Marcion'a karşı eserler yazdığı söylense de muhtemelen öğrencisi Philip tarafından kaleme alınmış olan "Ülkeler Yasaları Kitabı" dışında hiçbir eseri günümüze ulaşmamıştır.
Bu eser popülerlik kazandı ve Eusebius tarafından "İncil için Hazırlık" (XI.10.1-48) ve "Pseudo-Clementine Recognitions" (IX.19-29) adlı eserinde kısmen Yunanca dilinde alıntılanmıştır.

Bardaisan'ın yazıları hakkında bilgi için diğer kaynaklar, Mor Efrem'in Heretiklere Karşı İlahileri ve Reddiyeleridir.

Klasik Süryanice kurslarımız için bize [email protected] adresinden ulaşabilirsiniz.