The General Authority for Antiquities and Heritage at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities announced that the site of the “Aqsar Archaeological Church” in Karbala Governorate has become a real problem that threatens the extinction of that church, which is considered one of the oldest monuments of the Christian religion in Iraq.
The Authority said in a statement today that it is studying, in cooperation with the climate change team, the impact of climate change and the extremism associated with it on Iraqi antiquities, and has taken the “Aqsar Archaeological Site” as a model for this impact.
Meanwhile, the Director General of the Conference Palace Department and Head of the Climate Change Team at the Ministry of Culture, Montaser Sabah Al-Hasnawi, stressed during a field inspection visit to the archaeological site the importance of protecting the Iraqi cultural heritage from the impact of risks associated with climate change by developing adaptation strategies to preserve cultural practices and
archaeological and heritage sites in the country.
Al-Hasnawi explained that the field tour was conducted with a team from the Karbala Governorate Antiquities Inspectorate and in coordination with specialized professors from the University of Kufa and a number of researchers concerned with archaeological affairs.
The “Al-Aqsar” archaeological church is one of the oldest Christian monuments in Iraq, dating back to the fifth century AD. Its location is located in the desert of the “Ain Tamr” district, 70 km southwest of Karbala Governorate, and 5 km from the archaeological Al-Akhdar Fort.
Source: National Iraqi News Agency
