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US security measures threaten Samarras heritage |
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Written by Xiuhcoatl
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Nov 15, 2005 at 01:34 PM |
US security measures threaten Samarra’s heritage
A giant embankment built around the city has reduced attacks on US troops, but may have compromised important sites
Posted 10 November 2005
Written by Lucian Harris
LONDON. American counter-insurgency measures in Samarra in
western Iraq have, once again, led to concerns over possible damage to
the rich archaeological heritage of the city. On 19 September, the news
agency UPI reported that the American battalion stationed in Samarra
had begun the construction of a berm or temporary embankment around the
city, setting up checkpoints on all the roads to control access.
According to Major John Holcomb, the intelligence officer for the First
Brigade Combat Team of the Third Division, this has reduced attacks on
coalition troops by one third since August.
However, concerns about the effect of the berm on some of the city’s
most important archaeological sites have been raised by Alastair
Northedge, the Professor of Islamic art and archaeology at the Sorbonne
in Paris. He says that the Inspector of Antiquities at Samarra has
confirmed that the berm, created by bulldozing earth into a giant
embankment, is complete on the north and east sides of the city,
crossing the archaeological area somewhere north of the palace of Sur
Isa.
Although he says that it has become increasingly difficult to get
accurate reports on the situation in Samarra, Professor Northedge has
calculated that, while it may not yet encircle the entire city, the
section of berm constructed so far must cut through the Cloverleaf
Racecourse, “a unique monument, of which there is no like in the
world”, one of three horse-racing courses established in the
ninth-century caliphal capital.
He estimates that, depending on its path, the berm has almost certainly
cut across the sites of at least two ninth-century palaces, and
possibly also a Chalcolithic cemetery. If it is extended around the
south of the city, it will threaten other important monuments including
the Sur al-Wastani, and the remains of the original Abbasid city
centre. In a report written for this newspaper (see p.36), Professor
Northedge says: “there is no alignment that can possibly avoid the
destruction of major monuments”.
The US military’s apparent lack of concern for the monuments of Samarra
has already attracted criticism this year, after the Malwiya, the great
spiral minaret of the mosque of the caliph Al Mutawakkil, was damaged
by a missile fired at US snipers who were using the ninth-century
building as an observation post (The Art Newspaper, March 2005, p.7).
At Tell’afar and Mosul, the building of berms similar to the one at
Samarra has been followed by a military offensive. While, for now, this
may have been averted in Samarra, according to Professor Northedge any
such attack would threaten not only the fine traditional architecture
in the old city but also the golden dome over the Tomb of the Two Imams
(Marqad al-Imamayn) of the Shi’a.
To protect cultural sites in Iraq, the new constitution is expected to
include a reference to archaeological sites and museums being under
national government control, as well as partially under the regions.
This follows a call by the minister of tourism and antiquities, Hashim
al-Hashimi, who was concerned that archaeology was being downgraded to
become a regional responsibility. The proposed constitution was to be
subject to a referendum on 15 October, as we went to press.
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Last Updated ( Nov 30, 2005 at 08:52 PM )
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Archaeology 