果冻影院

When you think of聽cultural heritage聽丕賱鬲乇丕孬 丕賱孬賯丕賮賷, what comes to mind? For many, cultural heritage denotes material artefacts and archaeological riches, intellectually valued relics worthy of preservation. It is also the things we cannot necessarily see or touch, defined by聽聽as the 鈥榠ntangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations鈥�. These 鈥榠ntangibles鈥� can include societal values, communal bonds, traditions, rituals, oral expression and language. But heritage is subject to filtering in a 鈥榮election process: a process of memory and oblivion that characterizes every human society constantly engaged in choosing鈥�what is worthy of being preserved for future generations and what is not鈥�. This process provides us with a 鈥榲ersion of history鈥�. In a land of diversity and time of change, is it yours?

Heritage kept and heritage lost are often the results of decisions steered by institutions and elites, in any country. Qahtan Al-Abeed, supervisor of world cultural heritage sites in Iraq with UNESCO, experienced this directly. Born in Basra in 1980 before moving to Kirkuk in 1986, Qahtan 鈥榓lways liked old things鈥�. However, at school he wondered why there was 鈥榣imited information of our history, limited information of our civilisation鈥�. An Archaeology degree was then a specialist opportunity only afforded to 15 students a year at Baghdad University.

Dictatorship, conflict and instability in Iraq have enabled attacks and control over legacies, buildings and human identities. Iraqi history has been characterised by the 鈥榮ystematic dismantling鈥� of heritage, suggests Professor of Ancient Middle Eastern History at 果冻影院, Eleanor Robson, 鈥榝rom the time of the British Mandate, post-World War I, to during the past 15 years鈥�the Coalition Provisional Authority and others deprioritised understanding of communities and civil society. Think about the ways museums have told a nationalist history 鈥� this set the scene for Saddam through to ISIS.鈥� So why is heritage of particular interest and investment now?

Partly because the country is on the cusp of change and also because cultural heritage has been a tool in war. Over recent years ISIS destroyed swathes of North-Western Iraq including the walled city of Hatra, the monuments of Nimrud, libraries, and a number of religious sites. Furthermore, ISIS鈥� intolerance to pluralism and the group鈥檚 crimes, such as rape and the demolition of shrines, is an 鈥榠deological removal of identity鈥� says Professor Robson, 鈥榓nd there鈥檚 a failure to understand its importance鈥�.

ISIS also destroyed the Mosul museum. When this happened, Qahtan Al-Abeed, as Director of Basrah Museum, opened its first gallery in September 2016. It was a show of solidarity 鈥榯o counteract it [war with ISIS], a message of peace.鈥�

In an attempt to assist with the reconstruction of Mosul, Qahtan hopes to use his position to train others. He laments how the city is 鈥榠n zero condition, it needs a long time鈥�. Rather, heritage rehabilitation can also be about 鈥榞iving and creating. Young people, engineers, doctors鈥�they are interested, but they want someone to teach them how to do it.鈥�

Prior to ISIS, events involving the United States were also manipulated for political and ideological ends. 鈥楽tuff happens鈥� freedom鈥檚 untidy鈥� said Donald聽Rumsfeld聽of the rioting and looting of museums and libraries unprotected in the United States invasion in 2003, citing the burning and destruction of heritage as 鈥榗ollateral damage鈥�.

In the instability of American occupation Qahtan Al-Abeed moved back to Basra to work for the directorate of antiquities. But squatters had looted and taken over the premises. Qahtan indicates the difficulties Iraqis faced post-2003 鈥� 鈥業f we couldn鈥檛 even protect our office, how to protect a heritage site? We had to create from zero鈥�.

So, cultural heritage has been weaponised for decades to further agendas, ideologies and notional superiorities. After ISIS and current post-election uncertainty, how do Iraqis want to move forward?

Venturing inquiry is the Nahrein Network. Headed up by Professor Robson, Nahrein鈥檚 aims are to support the sustainable development of antiquity, cultural heritage and the humanities in Iraq and its neighbours. Cultural heritage can contribute to 鈥榮ustainable development and social cohesion鈥�, she explains, if it is 鈥榠nclusive, accessible and democratic鈥�. When rehabilitation allows 鈥榝or individuals with collective identities鈥�, heritage can be a mechanism for recovery in diverse societies.

Funded by the U.K. Arts and Humanities Research Council鈥檚聽Global Challenges Research Fund, the project runs until 2021. During this time, Nahrein is cooperating with museums, universities and cultural heritage sites in the Middle East to develop interdisciplinary humanities research and education, thus also driving social and economic development. Many institutions have a stake in the network, and collaborations are already in place with the University of Baghdad and Basrah Museum, amongst many others.

Nahrein then is also a vehicle, 鈥榓 funding body, trying to hook up Iraqi ideas with money and infrastructure,鈥� explains Professor Robson. Soon Nahrein will fund Iraqi research projects exploring 鈥榯he synergies between history, the humanities and heritage鈥�. Professor Robson has worked in the country for several years. 鈥榃e want to bring intellectual ownership back to Iraq,鈥� she adds. 鈥業 hope that the isolation of the past 28 years starts to dissolve and in the next few years, others work聽飞颈迟丑听Iraqis. It鈥檚 normal.鈥�

In a move to realising this ambition, Nahrein is equipping Iraqi academics such as Dr. Rozhen Kamal Mohammed-Amin with scholarships to visit the U.K. Dr. Rozhen, architect, founder and head of the Digital Cultural Heritage Research Group at the Sulaimani Polytechnic University, says: 鈥楾hrough the network鈥檚 joint visiting Iraqi scholarship, I am awarded a unique opportunity to modernize cultural heritage storytelling and experience at a local museum as a model, a plan that I had to put on hold due to lack of local funds鈥�.

Ultimately, Nahrein is trying to 鈥榬e-establish local pasts for local people, where culture is part of a rich and fulfilling life鈥�. Recently the project has been engaged in fact-finding missions, listening to a wide range of Iraqis, and asking, how would a good future look? Nahrein hosted a session at The Station in Baghdad with around 25 young professionals. At that focus group, 鈥淪omeone said 鈥榦ld minds decide what happens.鈥� We want to get outside these institutional cultures.鈥� Most participants, it transpired, were 鈥榖ored at school鈥�, instead finding a 鈥榣ove of culture and heritage through family鈥�through being at their grandparents鈥� house, through songs, car trips, picnics鈥︹�� Notably, 鈥楾hey were emotional responses. Whether home or a place,鈥� says Professor Robson, 鈥業t鈥檚 about feelings鈥�. Possibly, the emotional aspects of heritage are the glue. Eleanor elaborates how cultural spaces 鈥榗an also be an opportunity to forget, and have fun. An escape mechanism, to not think of difficult presents. Museums, the marshes鈥�these are calm spaces for contemplation, for people to be themselves.鈥�

Qahtan Al-Abeed echoes the sensory powers of heritage. 鈥榃e want to change the sad memories of Basrawi people鈥� he says. He plans to fully open the remaining galleries in the Basrah Museum in March next year. The museum uncovers 1800 years of history and excavations in the region, showcasing artefacts, pottery, glass, coins, toys and coffins. Yet, it is the less tangible dimensions that make the museum more significant than the sum of its contents.

Paradoxically, it is housed in Saddam鈥檚 old palace complex, in a tourist location. Qahtan rationalises why: 鈥業t is huge, with a secure gated area and big rooms for galleries.鈥� It is also of course a ghostly and emblematic acquisition. 鈥楶eople hated it!鈥� states Qahtan, 鈥楢s a symbol of the totalitarian regime鈥�.

In 1991, during the Shaaban Intifada, Saddam鈥檚 army carried out massacres in the palace. It was physically ruined again in 2005. In the allegorical ashes are messages. For regimes around the world, the Basrah museum aims to represent 鈥榟umanity and civilisation鈥�we are not for dictatorship, for doing bad things to people鈥�. And, affirms Qahtan firmly, 鈥榃e are not removing Saddam鈥檚 names from the walls. We will tell people in future the story. That is the only testimony we have.鈥�

Meanwhile, also in Basra, Qahtan is trying to reactivate Khashaba 禺卮丕亘丞, a local traditional form of music and dance. He is supporting the development of tourism amongst the marshes, a UNESCO listed site since 2016. But the water shortage, the result of climate, geography and regional politics, has created drought and now civil unrest. 鈥楲ife continues,鈥� Qahtan observes, with stoical resilience, 鈥榃e have to live. We have to do something important. Humanity has to help earth.鈥�

And it is this relationship 鈥榖etween people and things鈥�, says Professor Robson, that heritage personifies; 鈥業t鈥檚 who you are.鈥�

Read article