Hatra Festival in Iraq’s Nineveh Sheds Light on Jeopardized Monuments
(AWP) - The Hatra festival in the northern Iraqi province of Nineveh is shedding light on a civilization whose ancient artifacts were destroyed and neglected during the war against Daesh, who wreaked havoc on the large swathes of Iraqi territory they controlled.
Faris Abdel-Sattar, an engineer at the Nineveh Antiquities Department, said the Hatra Kingdom, or the Kingdom of the Sun, is one of the most ancient.
“This site was on the UNESCO permanent heritage list, but after it was subjected to heavy damage during Daesh control of the city, it was placed on the list of world heritage in danger,” he explained.
Hadar city is 120 kilometers southwest of Mosul. The Hatra festival aims to highlight the archeological sites in the province and their aesthetic features.
The event attracted a large number of visitors of all ages, including school students and teachers.
Ala’ Abdel-Aziz, a teacher who escorted her female students to the festival, urged all schools to visit the archeological sites for their great educational value.
Iraqi artist Jum’a Khorshid attended the ‘Revival of the Spirit of Hadar’ event, calling on the central government or the local administration to restore the antiquities and open the site for tourists and visitors.
The archeological site of Al-Hadar was opened for the festival for the first time since Daesh’s control over the province ended seven years ago. It is still classified as a heritage site in danger by UNESCO.