VIDEO: Young Assyrian rebuilds ancestral village to preserve culture of forefathers

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – An intense love for his forefathers inspired a young Assyrian man to rebuild his ancestral land and preserve the culture and ways of life of his ancestors.

Dani Asmaro, a Christian from the Nineveh Plains, had a goal: to resurrect a village in Al-Qosh where his grandfathers and great grandfathers once lived.

The initiative was born from a desire to breathe life into the old culture and antiquities of those who lived before him, Asmaro told Kurdistan 24.

“I have a love for the culture and history of my ancestors,” he stated. “I have a strong affection to my ancestral land, and that is why I want to rebuild the village in Al-Qosh.”

“The history books write that the village was located on the mountains,” Asmaro added.

Indeed, that is where he rebuilt the village, located high atop the mountains within the Nineveh Plains, about 20 kilometers (31 miles) southeast of the Kurdistan Region’s Duhok province.

The small village consists of 32 structures as well as stables for animals like chickens, geese, and horses, and even has historic landmarks from the past like a well for water and a man-made waterfall.

Asmaro said he bought most of the artifacts and antiques from antique shops in Duhok while others were purchased from a shop in Mosul and some were gathered from surrounding villages in the Nineveh Plains.

The building of the huts and structures took about two months to complete and another month was spent on placing artifacts and antiques in their original spots to mirror the old village.

“It is a shame that those past days will never return because they were days of freedom, family, and love,” Asmaro told Kurdistan 24, adding the landmarks like wells and stables were included “to remember the struggles and ways of life of his ancestors.”

The initiative cost about USD 110,000 to complete. According to Asmaro, there has been no outside help or financial support for his project.

“I hope that this project attracts support from the relevant organizations and inspires the youth to pursue similar initiatives.”

(Additional reporting by Masoud Mohammed)