On my list of things I hope to do before I die is visiting all 22 countries of the Arab League (only 10 to go!). It seems like getting to Somali and Iraq will be my biggest obstacles. These are both countries I have wanted to visit for a long time, but have not made it yet. I have been drawn to Iraq since I was a kid when my cousin gave me an wrist watch from there with a tank on the face. A TANK! As a 10 year old this was by far the coolest watch that had ever been conceived of in the history of chronographs. Unfortunately until things simmer down I am going to have to hold off on that visit. Until that time here are a couple of interesting viewpoints on what we are missing out on:
Virtual Museum of Iraq- As Baghdad fell into chaos at the end of the “war” part of the war, one of the many unfortunate casualties was the Baghdad museum. While the staff took herculean efforts to save the priceless antiquities much was destroyed and a considerable amount slipped out of Iraq to the international black market. An Italian group has done an amazing job creating a virtual catalog of what the museum has to offer, which is now available online. It is all interactive an flashy so slow connections beware, but it is really well done and very well presented. I am partial to the Assyrian era (coolest headgear), but all the halls have some great stuff.
Saddam’s Palaces- BLDGBLOG has a great interview with the photographer Richard Mosse who got to visit a few of Saddam’s palaces. While in many ways the interview hints at what a cool project this might be someday (he only visited a few of the 30 palaces) it has some great insight into how Saddam tried to project power and authenticity and by extension how silly the American armed forces were to use these symbols of Saddam’s regime. Among the legends of these palaces is that Saddam fed dissidents to the fish that lived in the moats (pictured above). Just as fascinating as the actual palaces themselves are the ways in which the US troops have re-imagined the use of the space.
Related posts:
Of all the debauchery committed by the US, the affect the invasion has had on Iraq's historical artefacts and museums enrages me the most. It's seems almost planned- the destruction of everything that the US wishes it has- real history, real significance in shaping mankind.
The US will go down as a country that achieved only brief importance in the continuum of human history- it's importance in affecting mankind will be trivial compared to the achievements of Mesopotamia.
Posted by pp2006 | June 14, 2009, 5:51 amyou can visit Somaliland, an independent country but it is still considered to be a part of Somalia. How's that?
Posted by myro | June 15, 2009, 12:44 amYou may want to wait 'til country is less "occupied" – journos have ended up in jail and worse over there.
Posted by UmLora | June 15, 2009, 1:03 amDepends where you are. I've had several friends visit Iraq within the past year, and have heard that it's pretty alright to travel around. I had one friend who actually said that he saw decreased American presence outside of Baghdad – I found that rather interesting.
Posted by SanaKF | June 16, 2009, 1:31 ami really like this post. i'm chaldean-assyrian-iraqi. i was born in the u.s. and have never seen iraq either. hopefully one day i will go. awesome link to the museum. along with the many who were killed, i was mad that the museum has been jacked…kill my people and my culture…a-holes.
Posted by LiaH | June 18, 2009, 2:04 amThanks, glad you liked the virtual museum. I spent at least a couple hours going through it. I liked the poetry on your blog.
Posted by Nimr | June 18, 2009, 3:48 am