A team of French archaeologists last month unearthed a long-buried Assyrian winged bull, otherwise known as a lamassu, in Mosul, north Iraq, that dates back to the reign of King Sargon II from 722-705BC.
The priceless carving now exposed to the atmosphere and at risk of erosion won’t have to contend with the weather for too long because the Louvre has promptly, much to the chagrin of many Iraqis, vacated a spot to accommodate the piece.
As an Assyrian, the relationship I have with my ancient heritage can be conflicting. Growing up in the UK, the British Museum is like a second home. I have lost count of the number of times I’ve traipsed down the Assyrian galleries, with their depictions of war, lion hunts and eagle-headed winged genies. The contents are as close as I can physically get to my homeland.
Each visit would fill me with a combination of awe, and amusement at the uncanny similarity of the alabaster faces to that of my grandad's. Underlying these emotions is the sorrow of how they got there in the first place. Many miles from where they were found, ancient Assyrian heritage mirrors the modern Assyrian diaspora, scattered predominantly in the western world, and severed from their native land.
The official line is that the British Museum obtained its collection legitimately. Austen Henry Layard, a diplomat, was the first to excavate Nineveh and Nimrud in what was Mesopotamia in the mid-19th century. He swiftly received sponsorship and then embarked on a mammoth journey by ship, transporting the huge carved stone reliefs to England. Layard’s visit inspired other Europeans to follow and swell their public – as well as private – collections of treasures.
The region, under Ottoman rule, granted permission for removal of the antiquities although there is scant information about the nature of the transactions, and it appears highly improbable that locals were consulted in the process.
While I ultimately believe that these items belong in the land where they originated, I have several reservations about repatriation. Circumstances over the past few decades have made it challenging for Iraq to manage its antiquities. My mother recalls a trip to the aqueduct of Sennacherib in Jerwan in the late 1960s. The site, dating back to the seventh-century BC, was crawling with security guards, one of whom scolded her for attempting to reach out to touch a pebble.
Now it is unattended, which is sadly an all-too-common observation at similar archaeological sites. Last year, Chatham House published research detailing the extent to which Iraqi institutions lacked the funding to deliver the security and conservation gravely needed for these areas.
The recently found winged-bull sculpture in Mosul is, in fact, incomplete. The head was stolen during a previous excavation that was abandoned at the start of the Gulf War. The conflict and subsequent sanctions shattered the country economically and prompted an illegal trade in the trafficking of ancient goods.
This continued during the 2003 invasion when occupying troops setting up bases at historically significant grounds inflicted considerable damage, and peaked with the horrendous looting of the museum in Baghdad. Some of the artefacts found their way on to eBay; an example that stood out was an invaluable cuneiform slab being sold for $10 as a “coaster”.
It is thought that, in all, Iraq has lost hundreds of thousands of cultural objects. While some have been recovered, the occasional glimpse of others in private collections has sparked controversy. Perhaps most notable was a 3,000-year-old panel of gypsum depicting a deity called Apkallu sold at auction by Christie's New York in 2018. It had been acquired by an American Episcopal seminary in 1859 through Dr Henri Byron Haskell, a US missionary who was intrigued by artefacts with biblical relevance.
The auction provoked restitution claims from the Iraqi ministry of culture, with officials petitioning Unesco and Interpol to intervene, but to no avail. Christie's addressed Iraq's position, putting out proof of provenance of the item. It added it had contacted law enforcement authorities before publishing details of the sale to ensure the documentation for the alabaster relief met “applicable laws governing its sale”.
That piece went under the hammer to an anonymous buyer for $31 million – three times the estimated value – arguably because of ISIS taking a pneumatic drill to monuments of a similar era at the palace of Ashurnasirpal II in Nimrud a few years earlier.
What ISIS did not destroy they traded on the black market, generating millions of dollars. Little coverage was given to the fact that, at the same time the statues were being demolished, the descendants of those who built them were being systematically massacred by the very same terrorist organisation.
That disconnect between modern and ancient Assyrians within the narrative about Iraq is not coincidental. At no stage in Iraq’s history has the constitution acknowledged us as an ethnic group, still less our indigeneity. Our direct lineage to ancient Assyrians, despite linguistic, cultural, geographic and genetic evidence, is often questioned.
The Arab nationalist policies of Baathism reclassified Assyrians as “Arab Christians”, but that didn’t stop Saddam Hussein fashioning himself as king Nebuchadnezzar in murals across the country nor his somewhat problematic restoration of Babylon, where he ensured his name was inscribed on every brick.
In May, Iraq's president requested the return of approximately 6,000 artefacts that were “borrowed” in 1923 for “academic purposes”. Given the British Museum’s track record of declining previous calls to repatriate items, it is interesting that this request was granted unchallenged.
In Baghdad, a lavish ceremony took place to mark the occasion with President Abdul Latif Rashid at the helm, a man who has been an instrumental member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan party. The party’s core ideology is establishing a state with a singular Kurdish identity.
With that in mind, seeing a politician salivate over our cultural heritage, proclaiming the goods as symbolic of national unity, was stomach turning. More so if you are aware of the role the party has had in marginalising Assyrian communities.
Dig a few inches down in Iraq and you will more than likely stumble upon something a few thousand years old. That’s exactly what happened to journalist Hormuz Mushi in the town of Fayda in 2019. After alerting the relevant authorities of his accidental find, Mushi was assaulted and detained by Kurdish security forces.
The bizarre response makes sense when understanding the objectives of the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) which presides over that part of Iraq. Such discoveries are viewed as a threat to the pursuit for Kurdish independence that has partially relied on discrediting Assyrian indigeneity.
The KRG are famed for co-option of Assyrian material heritage, adopting historical revisionism as a key tactic. A report by the Assyrian Policy Institute described disturbing examples, such as incorrect labelling of museum exhibits, frequent vandalisation of archaeological sites as well as tangible heritage being torn down altogether – or, as was the case with the Khinnis rock reliefs, being renovated into an outdoor swimming pool.
I can’t help but feel that Assyrian history is the one aspect of Mesopotamia’s back story that appears to belong to everyone but Assyrians. I laughed when my grandad first snorted “I could do with my portrait back” before a trip I made to the British Museum as a child. Now, as I remember those words, there is a poignancy to them that emphasises the lack of ownership we possess over our own past.
Michael Rakowitz, an American artist, wrote a letter to the British Museum in January requesting repatriation of a lamassu to Iraq. In exchange, he offered the Tate a contemporary version of the sculpture he had created.
To many Assyrians, this seemed like nothing more than a gimmick. If he succeeded, he would have achieved what no one else had done before, as well as immortalise himself with an artwork in a world-renowned gallery.
The recent thefts at the British Museum have been an unexpected twist in the timeline of the institution. In August, the museum reported that a number of items, including gold jewellery and precious stones, appeared to be missing or damaged. The incident, under investigation by police, led to the museum director Hartwig Fischer resigning. It emerged that concerns about possible thefts first raised by an art historian more than two years ago had gone unheeded. It has been suggested that inadequate cataloguing and lapses in security may have contributed to the losses. Fischer quit after accepting responsibility for the museum's failure to properly respond to warnings about the suspected thefts of thousands of objects as far back as 2021.
Until this point, I had always maintained that Assyrian artefacts were best placed where they are, in the British Museum. Iraqi authorities, on the other hand, have repeatedly failed to guard our physical heritage and are yet to realise the need to protect our modern communities, the numbers of which are continually dwindling. Until they can prove otherwise, I can’t help but feel that these relics are far safer underground.
Jenan Younis is a comedian and BBC New Voices Winner based in London. Her next show IRAQNOPHOBIA is at the Harrison Theatre, Bloomsbury, on Saturday, December 16.
hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
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Points to remember
- Debate the issue, don't attack the person
- Build the relationship and dialogue by seeking to find common ground
- Express passion for the issue but be aware of when you're losing control or when there's anger. If there is, pause and take some time out.
- Listen actively without interrupting
- Avoid assumptions, seek understanding, ask questions
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Indika
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Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- Margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars
- Energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- Infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes
- Many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts
How Beautiful this world is!
Day 3, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Lahiru Gamage, the Sri Lanka pace bowler, has had to play a lot of cricket to earn a shot at the top level. The 29-year-old debutant first played a first-class game 11 years ago. His first Test wicket was one to savour, bowling Pakistan opener Shan Masood through the gate. It set the rot in motion for Pakistan’s batting.
Stat of the day – 73 Haris Sohail took 73 balls to hit a boundary. Which is a peculiar quirk, given the aggressive intent he showed from the off. Pakistan’s batsmen were implored to attack Rangana Herath after their implosion against his left-arm spin in Abu Dhabi. Haris did his best to oblige, smacking the second ball he faced for a huge straight six.
The verdict One year ago, when Pakistan played their first day-night Test at this ground, they held a 222-run lead over West Indies on first innings. The away side still pushed their hosts relatively close on the final night. With the opposite almost exactly the case this time around, Pakistan still have to hope they can salvage a win from somewhere.
PROFILE OF INVYGO
Started: 2018
Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo
Based: Dubai
Sector: Transport
Size: 9 employees
Investment: $1,275,000
Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
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Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Naga
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Mane points for safe home colouring
- Natural and grey hair takes colour differently than chemically treated hair
- Taking hair from a dark to a light colour should involve a slow transition through warmer stages of colour
- When choosing a colour (especially a lighter tone), allow for a natural lift of warmth
- Most modern hair colours are technique-based, in that they require a confident hand and taught skills
- If you decide to be brave and go for it, seek professional advice and use a semi-permanent colour
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Cricket World Cup League 2 Fixtures
Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)
Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy
Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy
Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy
Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Company Profile
Company name: Big Farm Brothers
Started: September 2020
Founders: Vishal Mahajan and Navneet Kaur
Based: Dubai Investment Park 1
Industry: food and agriculture
Initial investment: $205,000
Current staff: eight to 10
Future plan: to expand to other GCC markets
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
more from Janine di Giovanni
ON%20TRACK
%3Cp%3EThe%20Dubai%20Metaverse%20Assembly%20will%20host%20three%20main%20tracks%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEducate%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Consists%20of%20more%20than%2010%20in-depth%20sessions%20on%20the%20metaverse%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInspire%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Will%20showcase%20use%20cases%20of%20the%20metaverse%20in%20tourism%2C%20logistics%2C%20retail%2C%20education%20and%20health%20care%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EContribute%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Workshops%20for%20metaverse%20foresight%20and%20use-case%20reviews%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Pox that threatens the Middle East's native species
Camelpox
Caused by a virus related to the one that causes human smallpox, camelpox typically causes fever, swelling of lymph nodes and skin lesions in camels aged over three, but the animal usually recovers after a month or so. Younger animals may develop a more acute form that causes internal lesions and diarrhoea, and is often fatal, especially when secondary infections result. It is found across the Middle East as well as in parts of Asia, Africa, Russia and India.
Falconpox
Falconpox can cause a variety of types of lesions, which can affect, for example, the eyelids, feet and the areas above and below the beak. It is a problem among captive falcons and is one of many types of avian pox or avipox diseases that together affect dozens of bird species across the world. Among the other forms are pigeonpox, turkeypox, starlingpox and canarypox. Avipox viruses are spread by mosquitoes and direct bird-to-bird contact.
Houbarapox
Houbarapox is, like falconpox, one of the many forms of avipox diseases. It exists in various forms, with a type that causes skin lesions being least likely to result in death. Other forms cause more severe lesions, including internal lesions, and are more likely to kill the bird, often because secondary infections develop. This summer the CVRL reported an outbreak of pox in houbaras after rains in spring led to an increase in mosquito numbers.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Yuval Noah Harari, Jonathan Cape
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
RESULTS
5pm Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner Thabet Al Reef, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)
5.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Blue Diamond, Pat Cosgrave, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6pm Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Hameem, Adrie de Vries, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6.30pm Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Shoja’A Muscat, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Heros De Lagarde, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 2,400m
Winner Good Tidings, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
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SPEC%20SHEET
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Ferrari
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Spare
Profile
Company name: Spare
Started: March 2018
Co-founders: Dalal Alrayes and Saurabh Shah
Based: UAE
Sector: FinTech
Investment: Own savings. Going for first round of fund-raising in March 2019
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
Past winners of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
2016 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2015 Nico Rosberg (Mercedes-GP)
2014 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2013 Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
2012 Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus)
2011 Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2010 Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
2009 Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
