Activists call on Iraq government to do more to preserve cultural heritage in Mosul after waste container placed next to ancient site

MOSUL, Iraq — The Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian people in Iraq have become increasingly desperate due to the repeated — and some say deliberate — violations of archaeological sites and historical symbols. Government officials at the local, regional, and national level all seem indifferent to the destruction or incapable of preventing it. The failure to preserve the history of Iraq is a tragedy.

In the latest incident, huge waste containers were placed near the Assyrian Gate of Shamsh by the municipality of Mosul.

The incident angered some activists from Mosul, who described it as deliberate, criticizing the placement of containers near one of the ancient Assyrian gates. The waste container was overflowing with waste, forcing municipal workers to pile up additional waste outside the containers, turning ancient site into a veritable landfill.

Activists called for the government to do more to ensure Iraq’s ancient cultural legacy isn’t diminished.

In April, a portion of the Nineveh Wall was damaged by municipal crews widening a road.