A Christian Icon Rescued from War

Abstract

raq has become a country where everything is threatened, not only the people, but also the monuments. The most regrettable loss is the monastery of Mar Behnam, near Mosul, a unique monument of Christian art from the twelfth century1. Barbarious hands have blown up the 6th century martyrion, and in the monastery, the sublime carvings on the marble door lintels are all broken and hammered away beyond possible restoration. The fate of the old churches of Mosul and the monuments of the Atabeg and Jalili periods is not yet known. Despite this gloomy cultural scenario, some rare paintings miraculously survived the barbarism. The small church built over the shrine of Saint Barbara in Kermeleys2 (fig. 1) was completely ruined, all the statues broken, even the gravestone of the saint, but after cleaning up a huge pile of rubbish, deep under the dust, an old painting of the saint was rediscovered. The painting is very damaged, without the frame, but the painted theme could still be recognized. It was the only painting that survived, probably because it represents the beheading of the saint, by a brute executioner who is depicted turning his sword above his head, ready for the blow. The modern executioners might have recognized themselves in the representation. This painting was brought to Erbil for restoration, but other paintings have been lost, due either to neglect or lack of respect or understanding by their owners. Already in the years long before the invasion of Mosul and the Plain of Nineveh by the Islamic State, the local Christians did not appreciate their own art works; if something became old, it could not be restored and was thrown away. This was unfortunately the general situation among the Christians in the years 1950-1970.