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The project seeks to address the significant destruction of heritage and archaeological sites by ISIS and its military operations in Diyala province of Iraq, as well as the impact of Iraqi army camps built there.
The project's team also investigated residents' opinions about these events and involved them in discussing the future of cultural heritage in the province. By increasing awareness within the community of local heritage and its importance, the team aims to encourage locals to protect it in the future.
Project Outputs
- The project surveyed and documented the current state of archaeological sites in Diyala including Khan Bani Saad, Hamam Huwaidar and Jaff Palace in Saadiya. Watch documentation video of these important sites on YouTube link.
- A virutal lecture presenting important archaelogical sites in Diyala and the direct and indirect impact of armed conflicts on cultural heritage, including the Iran-Iraq war, the conflict with Al-Qaeda, and the ISIS invasion of some of the province’s cities. The event was attended by university professors, SBAH employees and students.
- A symposium was held at Diyala University in collaboration with the University of Al-Qadisiyah titled: The Impact of Armed Conflict on Cultural Heritage in Diyala discussing the outputs and findings of the project by its team members.
- A published book titled: The Impact of the Armed Conflict on Cultural Heritage in Diyala (Arabic and English). This book reviews the history of the conflict in Diyala, its types, the extent of damage to cultural heritage, the importance of these archaeological sites, and the number of damaged sites. Book link coming soon.
The project contributes to increasing the awareness of military forces of archaeological sites and their value and emphasizing the importance of avoiding using sites as camps for the army or police, digging trenches or anti-aircraft sites.
