New Ankawa Cathedral Consecrated as Symbol of Coexistence and Renewal

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - In a powerful and deeply moving ceremony that celebrated the resilience of faith in the face of unspeakable brutality, the magnificent new Umm al-Nour (Mother of Light) Syriac Orthodox Cathedral was officially consecrated in the Christian enclave of Ankawa on Sunday, a grand edifice described by a senior church leader as a "symbol of resurrection" rising from the ashes of persecution.

The opening of the new cathedral, a project brought to fruition through the direct and sustained support of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), was hailed as a "historic and unique event" and a testament to the culture of coexistence that has made the Kurdistan Region a safe haven for Christians and other minorities fleeing violence.

Mar Nicodemus Daoud Matti Sharaf, the Metropolitan of the new cathedral, delivered a heartfelt address in which he extended his "special thanks" to Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, whom he said "loves us, and we love him," and recalled the profound words of solidarity offered by President Masoud Barzani at the height of the ISIS crisis: "You are in your own homes and land. Your situation is our situation; we live together and we die together."

The consecration ceremony on Sunday, October 12, 2025, was a moment of profound joy and spiritual significance for the Syriac Orthodox community and for all the Christian denominations of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.

"It is true we waited a long time, but the wait was fruitful, and in the end, we saw this unique beauty," Metropolitan Daoud declared at the opening ceremony. "God is worthy of all praise in the holy places where His name is held high."

He described the event, held in the "heart of precious Ankawa," as a "historic and unique event in the history of the Church of the East."

The Metropolitan's address was a powerful meditation on the meaning of the new cathedral, which he said was far more than just a physical structure. "This building is not just a collection of stones that have been laid," he explained, "but an embodiment of the accumulated tears, the unhealed wounds, and the pains, which have become a symbol of resurrection on this sacred land of Ankawa."

He drew a direct and poignant line from the beauty of the new church to the horrors of the recent past, a past in which the Christian community of Iraq was subjected to a genocidal campaign by the so-called Islamic State (ISIS).

He spoke of how the land of Ankawa had "embraced its children and brothers from Mosul, Kirkuk, and all the regions of Iraq after terrorism uprooted them, burned their churches, and destroyed their places of worship."

In a powerful and poetic metaphor for the community's survival and revival, he declared, "Today our dead are rising from under those ashes, carrying their own crosses, and emphasizing that they will rebuild the house of God."

This spirit of resurrection, he said, is a testament to a faith that is "deeper than the pain" and to a "light of Christ" that is "brighter than all darkness." The high walls of the new cathedral, he added, are a "testament to the survival and resistance of a people who were not willing to renounce their beliefs."

Metropolitan Daoud also spoke of the deep and ancient roots of the Christian community in the land, pushing back against any notion that they are a foreign or transient presence.

He acknowledged that Christians "feel they have been shaken from their land," but he immediately and firmly rejected this idea. "They are not strangers to us, and we are not strangers; it is the land of our forefathers. It is the land of our long past. We are all kith and kin."

A central and recurring theme of the Metropolitan's address was his profound and heartfelt gratitude to the leadership of the Kurdistan Region for their unwavering support, not only in the construction of the new cathedral but, more fundamentally, in providing a safe and welcoming refuge for the Christian community in its darkest hour.

"On this day, we are grateful to the Kurdistan Regional Government, foremost among them Masrour Barzani," he stated. He described the Prime Minister's support as a natural and expected extension of a long-standing family legacy of friendship and protection. "Frankly, we do not find this strange in Masrour Barzani's dealings with us, in his utmost friendship with us, because his treatment of us is something that is a product of the sound upbringing and the blessed family that President Barzani leads."

He then recounted a powerful and deeply personal memory from the summer of 2014, when hundreds of thousands of Christians were fleeing the advance of ISIS across the Nineveh Plains. He described the moment when a delegation of displaced and desperate Christians "came from Mosul to President Barzani and turned to him, displaced with a host of pains."

The response they received, he said, has become an indelible part of their collective memory.

"We remember that when we came, President Barzani expressed a unique concept that no matter how many times it is repeated, we never tire of it," the Metropolitan recalled. "He told us, do not worry, you are not guests here, you are in your own homes and land. Your situation is our situation; we live together and we die together."

These powerful words of solidarity, he explained, were not just empty rhetoric but a foundational promise that has been consistently fulfilled, a promise that has been carried on by the next generation of leadership.

"Those were the words of President Barzani," he said, "and if those are the words of the father, without a doubt the son walks on the same path and implements his plan. From here, we thank the Prime Minister." He concluded this portion of his speech by affirming that "This blessed government of the Kurdistan Region has continuously shouldered the sacred duty of rebuilding this church."

The consecration of the Umm al-Nour Cathedral is therefore not just a milestone for the Christian community, but a powerful and visible symbol of the unique culture of coexistence and mutual respect that has been fostered and protected by the leadership of the Kurdistan Region, a culture that stands in stark and defiant contrast to the sectarian violence and intolerance that has plagued so much of the wider region.