Islamic State militants in Iraq have reportedly "bulldozed" Nimrud, an ancient Assyrian city, causing an outrage among archaeologists, officials and historians. The group began demolishing the site on Thursday, oblivious to the fact that the place had been in existence since the 13th century, B.C.
ISIS claims that the ancient shrines and statues of the place are "false idols" promoting "apostasy," which they believe should be destroyed. The group, which now controls a third of Iraq and Syria, also released a video earlier this week showing militants destroying ancient artifacts at the Mosul museum with sledgehammers.
"Nimrud was our gem, the best preserved site in Mosul and the most important one," said Nineveh Yakou, Assyrian archaeologist and director of cultural heritage and indigenous affairs at A Demand for Action, a campaigning group. "It's ridiculous, every leader and dictator that ruled in Iraq never dared to touch the site until now."
Located near the Tigris River, Nimrud was founded by the Assyrian King Shalamansar I. Among its treasures, which can now be destroyed or ransacked by militants, include steles and bas-reliefs that depict hunting and war scenes and Lamassu, huge statues that appeared as lions with wings or bulls with human heads that are bearded.
The place already suffered from neglect and looting for quite some time, dating back to 2003, when it became vulnerable after being invaded by the U.S. However, the latest destruction by the militants is a totally different area of concern as seen by experts.
"It's the deliberate destruction of a heritage and its images, intended to erase history and the identity of the people of Iraq, whether in the past or the present," said Jack Green, chief curator of the Oriental Institute Museum at the University of Chicago and expert on Iraqi art. "And it has a major impact on the heritage of the region."
Most of Nimrud's valued artifacts were transferred to museums in Baghdad, Mosul, London, Paris and elsewhere long ago. However, some of the huge Lamassu statues still stood at the site.
Experts believe that militants traffic antiquities to fund the group. The pieces too bulky to smuggle are destroyed.
"UNESCO is determined to do whatever is needed to document and protect the heritage of Iraq and lead the fight against the illicit traffic of cultural artifacts, which directly contributes to the financing of terrorism," said Irina Bokova, head of the UN's cultural body UNESCO.
Photo: Xuan Che I Flickr
