Japanese Ambassador visits Zoroastrian site in Duhok

“To keep alive cultural and religious heritage of Iraq, Japan continues to cooperate with archeologists of KRG.”

Wladimir van Wilgenburg 2023/08/11 11:20

Japanese Ambassador to Iraq, Futoshi Matsumoto, pays a recent visit to the historic Charsteen Cave (Photo: Futoshi Matsumoto/Twitter)

Kurdistan Duhok Charsteen cave Japan cultural heritage archeology

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Japanese Ambassador to Iraq Futoshi Matsumoto this week visited the Charsteen Cave, a symbol of ancient Zoroastrianism in the Kurdistan Region.

Have you ever visited any Zoroastrian site in Iraq? If not, you should see Charsteen Cave in Duhok, a possible future world heritage site. Dr.Bekas, Director at Duhok Directorate of Antiquities and Heritage kindly guided me to this Zoroastrian temple. I clearly saw there all… pic.twitter.com/PKujlD8GpJ
— Futoshi Matsumoto 🇯🇵🇮🇶 (@JAPANAmbIRAQ) August 10, 2023

“If not, you should see Charsteen Cave in Duhok, a possible future world heritage site,” Japanese Ambassador to Iraq Futoshi Matsumoto, posted on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Dr. Bekas, Director at Duhok Directorate of Antiquities and Heritage kindly guided me to this Zoroastrian temple. I clearly saw there all four sacred elements of Zoroastrism: fire, water, soil and air,” he said.

“I sensed also a certain similarity between Japanese ancient Shintoism and Zoroastrian belief in nature.”

“To keep alive cultural and religious heritage of Iraq, Japan continues to cooperate with archeologists of KRG (Kurdistan Regional Government) through JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) training program,” he underlined.

Charsteen was renovated twice by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) back in 1999 and 2013.

In Feb. 2022, Dr. Bekas Brifkani, the director of Duhok antiquities, announced a plan to renovate Charsteen and its stairs.

UNESCO in Iraq, EU, and ILO have also supported the authorities of Duhok antiquities.