PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Archeologists studying ancient civilizations in northern Iraq during the 1930s also befriended the nearby Yazidi community, documenting their daily lives in photographs that were rediscovered after the Islamic State militant group devastated the tiny religious minority. The black-and-white images ended up scattered among the 2,000 or so photographs from the excavation kept at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, which led the ambitious dig. One photo — a Yazidi shrine — caught the eye of Penn doctoral student Marc Marin Webb in 2022, nearly a decade after it was destroyed by IS extremists plundering the region. Webb and others began scouring museum files and gathered almost 300 photos to create a visual archive of the Yazidi people, one of Iraq’s oldest religious minorities. The systematic attacks, which the United Nations called a genocide, killed thousands of Yazidis and sent thousands more into exile or sexual slavery. It also destroyed much of their built heritage and cultural history. Ansam Basher, now a teacher in England, was overwhelmed with emotion when she saw the photos, particularly a batch from her grandparents’ wedding day in the early 1930s. The archive documents Yazidi people, places and traditions that IS sought to erase. Marin Webb is working with Nathaniel Brunt, a Toronto documentarian, to share it with the community, both through exhibits in the region and in digital form with the Yazidi diaspora. The first exhibits took place in the region in April, when Yazidis gather to celebrate the New Year. The wedding photos show an elaborately dressed bride and a historic car, illustrating a vibrant culture amid profound loss.
Rediscovered Photographs Revive Yazidi Heritage After Islamic State Devastation
Rediscovered Photographs Revive Yazidi Heritage After Islamic State Devastation
A rediscovery of historical photographs capturing the daily lives and traditions of the Yazidi community in Iraq has allowed the diaspora to reconnect with their cultural heritage, following years of turmoil and loss during IS's aggressive campaigns.
Historical photographs documenting the Yazidi community in northern Iraq during the 1930s have been rediscovered, providing a valuable archive of their culture in the wake of destruction wrought by the Islamic State. Nearly 300 images have been compiled into an archive, helping Yazidis worldwide reconnect with their heritage. The initiative highlights the community's resilience and the importance of preserving their history, as shown by recent exhibitions where family members recognized their ancestors in the photographs. The project underscores the ongoing need to preserve cultural memories amidst historical violence.
