7-31-09
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/07/31/iraq.babylon.damage/
The U.S. military did major damage to the site of one of the wonders of the ancient world while converting it into a base, the United Nations said in a new report.
The site of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon was converted into Camp Alpha shortly after the United States invaded Iraq in 2003.
The troops and their contractors caused "major damage" by digging, cutting, scraping and leveling while they were revamping the site to meet military standards, the U.N. cultural agency, UNESCO, said in a report.
"Key structures that were damaged include the Ishtar Gate and the Processional Way," the report added.
The Ishtar Gate, an entrance to the northern part of the city, is decorated with animals that portray the symbol of the god of the city of Babylon.
The United States has agreed to pay $800,000 to help rehabilitate the Babylon site, an Iraqi official said.
"We were very disappointed when multinational forces took over these ancient sites as bases although they knew how important these sites are to Iraqis and to the entire world," said Abdulzahra al-Talaqani, spokesman for the ministry of tourism.
Plans are under way to clean up the area in August with the help of hundreds of volunteers, according to al-Talaqani.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Iraqis sad about ancient Babylon relics ravaged by war
7-28-09
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-07/28/content_11788706.htm
The visit of the delegation was aimed at studying the possibility for the WTO to contribute to bringing the ancient city back to its normal position as one of the world's main historical sites.
The delegation and some Iraqi media workers who were allowed to join the trip entered the ruins from the ancient Ishtar Gate and walked through the Procession Avenue which is close to the palace of the Babylonian ruler Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562 BC).
Earlier in the month, experts of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said that the U.S. troops and contractors inflicted considerable damage on the historic Iraqi site of Babylon, driving heavy machinery over sacred paths, bulldozing hilltops and digging trenches through one of the world' most important archaeological sites.
"We have also authenticated the damages in the ruins site which were made by the foreign troops and sent them to the UNESCO," said Mariam al-Omran, head of Antiquities Department in Babel Province.
A U.S. embassy statement said that the U.S. authorities contributed 700,000 dollars to save the ancient ruins of Babylon.
The sum was considered too little for help. "The contribution will not remove the negative impacts on the ruins by making the historical site a military base," Qadouri said commenting on the U.S. embassy statement.
Al-Omran said that the ruins need to be rehabilitated as quickly as possible, considering the U.S. embassy statement of helping to protect the ruins was "helpful but not enough."
"There is a need for the excavation teams to come back soon," she added.
Larry Morgan, an official in the WTO delegation said that his organization is endeavored to help the ancient ruins of Babylon to become once again a site that attracts international tourists as one the world's most important heritages.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-07/28/content_11788706.htm
The visit of the delegation was aimed at studying the possibility for the WTO to contribute to bringing the ancient city back to its normal position as one of the world's main historical sites.
The delegation and some Iraqi media workers who were allowed to join the trip entered the ruins from the ancient Ishtar Gate and walked through the Procession Avenue which is close to the palace of the Babylonian ruler Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562 BC).
Earlier in the month, experts of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said that the U.S. troops and contractors inflicted considerable damage on the historic Iraqi site of Babylon, driving heavy machinery over sacred paths, bulldozing hilltops and digging trenches through one of the world' most important archaeological sites.
"We have also authenticated the damages in the ruins site which were made by the foreign troops and sent them to the UNESCO," said Mariam al-Omran, head of Antiquities Department in Babel Province.
A U.S. embassy statement said that the U.S. authorities contributed 700,000 dollars to save the ancient ruins of Babylon.
The sum was considered too little for help. "The contribution will not remove the negative impacts on the ruins by making the historical site a military base," Qadouri said commenting on the U.S. embassy statement.
Al-Omran said that the ruins need to be rehabilitated as quickly as possible, considering the U.S. embassy statement of helping to protect the ruins was "helpful but not enough."
"There is a need for the excavation teams to come back soon," she added.
Larry Morgan, an official in the WTO delegation said that his organization is endeavored to help the ancient ruins of Babylon to become once again a site that attracts international tourists as one the world's most important heritages.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
IRAQ: US $1 billion to rebuild higher education
7-26-09
http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20090724102929257
Iraq has launched a five-year, $1 billion higher education plan to boost the nation's science and technology workforce while promoting knowledge-based sustainable development. The plan was announced on Saturday by Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki who is in the US to sign an implementation agreement and establish an American Universities Iraq Consortium.
The agreement to manage the plan was signed by al-Maliki, on behalf of the Iraqi government's committee for education development, and Stephen Moseley, President of the Washington-based Academy for Educational Development.
The plan will be implemented in two phases: the first with a scholarship initiative to send up to 10,000 Iraqi students abroad each year over the next five years. The students will undertake two-year technical degrees as well as bachelor, masters and doctoral degrees at universities in Australia, Canada, Britain and the US.
Under a $54 million pilot programme, 500 students will go to the US for the 2009-2010 academic year. The degrees include engineering, health, science and technology as well as education.
The second phase of the plan involves an overhaul of the entire Iraq education system from K-12 to higher education. The focus will be on rebuilding university infrastructure, including new laboratories and establishing internet connections.
Sattar Sadkhan Almaliky, head of scientific affairs and public relations at Babylon University in Iraq and director of the Iraqi Academic Committee, said building infrastructure had to be given top priority as most universities in the war-torn nation were not fully operational.
http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20090724102929257
Iraq has launched a five-year, $1 billion higher education plan to boost the nation's science and technology workforce while promoting knowledge-based sustainable development. The plan was announced on Saturday by Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki who is in the US to sign an implementation agreement and establish an American Universities Iraq Consortium.
The agreement to manage the plan was signed by al-Maliki, on behalf of the Iraqi government's committee for education development, and Stephen Moseley, President of the Washington-based Academy for Educational Development.
The plan will be implemented in two phases: the first with a scholarship initiative to send up to 10,000 Iraqi students abroad each year over the next five years. The students will undertake two-year technical degrees as well as bachelor, masters and doctoral degrees at universities in Australia, Canada, Britain and the US.
Under a $54 million pilot programme, 500 students will go to the US for the 2009-2010 academic year. The degrees include engineering, health, science and technology as well as education.
The second phase of the plan involves an overhaul of the entire Iraq education system from K-12 to higher education. The focus will be on rebuilding university infrastructure, including new laboratories and establishing internet connections.
Sattar Sadkhan Almaliky, head of scientific affairs and public relations at Babylon University in Iraq and director of the Iraqi Academic Committee, said building infrastructure had to be given top priority as most universities in the war-torn nation were not fully operational.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
The Mystery of Babylon
http://www.prophecytube.com/articles/babylon.html
Let's take a look at Babylon . . . it's origin, its rise to world empire status, its strong influence on every culture . . . to this present day, and its eventual and ultimate destruction.
It might surprise you to find out that not only has Babylon never really left us, but also that the Bible dedicates six entire chapters to it's final judgment and destruction in such specific detail as to tell us that this destruction is, at least in part, yet future.
The literal place called Babylon is located in modern day Iraq. In Biblical times this area was also referred to as the Land of Shinar.
The vicinity of this ancient city is often referred to as the "cradle of civilization" and with good reason. It is where we get: The Garden of Eden . . . The 1st people (Adam & Eve) . . . Satan’s 1st appearance . . . Nineveh . . . the Abraham & Lot story . . . and one of it’s most notorious claims to fame - the Tower of Babel.
Babylon is mentioned approximately 300 times in Scripture. The only city that is mentioned more is Jerusalem.
Some have said that the Bible can be viewed as a tale of two cities: Jerusalem and Babylon. The city of God, and the city of Satan. You will find this is even more true than the quaint expression implies.
So let's take a close look at this complex and extremely controversial, highly contested topic of both history and prophecy and see if see if we can unravel the Mystery of Babylon.
More . . .
Babylon In Bible Prophecy - Dr. Thomas Ice
http://www.pre-trib.org/article-view.php?id=15
Babylon was the most important city in the world for about 2,000 years in the past and the Bible tells us that she will be revived and brought onto the end-time stage to play a leading role (Rev. 14:8; 16:19; 17-18). End-times prophecy demands that Babylon be rebuilt and become an important city in world affairs during the tribulation. Isaiah 13:19 says, "And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans' pride, will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah." The context of Isaiah 13 is "the day of the Lord," the most common Old Testament term for our more widely know term of the tribulation. Further, Babylon has indeed been conquered in the past, but never has she been destroyed cataclysmically (i.e.,"as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah"). In fact there are said to be about 250,000 people living in Babylon today. Revelation 18:16, 19 echoes such a sudden destruction from the hand of God, "'Woe, woe, the great city, . . .for in one hour she has been laid waste!'" Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum declares,"the prophecies regarding the city of Babylon have never been fulfilled in the past, as any encyclopedia article on Babylon will make quite clear. In order for these prophecies to be fulfilled, it will require the rebuilding of the city of Babylon in the same general area. Ancient Babylon is in present day Iraq."[4] Thus, Babylon has a great future role in history, but will be utterly destroyed in a moment of future history.
Babylon was the most important city in the world for about 2,000 years in the past and the Bible tells us that she will be revived and brought onto the end-time stage to play a leading role (Rev. 14:8; 16:19; 17-18). End-times prophecy demands that Babylon be rebuilt and become an important city in world affairs during the tribulation. Isaiah 13:19 says, "And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans' pride, will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah." The context of Isaiah 13 is "the day of the Lord," the most common Old Testament term for our more widely know term of the tribulation. Further, Babylon has indeed been conquered in the past, but never has she been destroyed cataclysmically (i.e.,"as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah"). In fact there are said to be about 250,000 people living in Babylon today. Revelation 18:16, 19 echoes such a sudden destruction from the hand of God, "'Woe, woe, the great city, . . .for in one hour she has been laid waste!'" Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum declares,"the prophecies regarding the city of Babylon have never been fulfilled in the past, as any encyclopedia article on Babylon will make quite clear. In order for these prophecies to be fulfilled, it will require the rebuilding of the city of Babylon in the same general area. Ancient Babylon is in present day Iraq."[4] Thus, Babylon has a great future role in history, but will be utterly destroyed in a moment of future history.
Babel grants 3 investment projects
4-27-09
http://en.aswataliraq.info/?p=112246
Babel’s investment commission granted three investment permits to Iraqi businessmen for a total of $35.2 million, the commission’s director general said on Monday.
“One of the permits is for a new compound to produce construction materials, the second for a compound to produce Oxygen and Nitrogen gases, and the third for a factory to produce mineral water,” Engineer Alaa Harba told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
“The commission is currently studying other potential investment permits,” he said.
http://en.aswataliraq.info/?p=112246
Babel’s investment commission granted three investment permits to Iraqi businessmen for a total of $35.2 million, the commission’s director general said on Monday.
“One of the permits is for a new compound to produce construction materials, the second for a compound to produce Oxygen and Nitrogen gases, and the third for a factory to produce mineral water,” Engineer Alaa Harba told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
“The commission is currently studying other potential investment permits,” he said.
Babel investment commission unveils 4 projects in London conference
5-18-09
http://en.aswataliraq.info/?p=113335
The director general of the Babel investment commission said on Monday that the commission presented four investment projects during the recent London conference.
“The first project is an industrial city in Abu Sameeh region in south of Babel,” Alaa Harba said at a press conference on Monday (May 18) in Babel, noting that talks underway on this project with German investors.
“The second project is al-Mehnawiya island in northern Hilla, a touristic project to be built on an area of 2,210,000 meters and would be a touristic resort,” he added.
“The Third project is an oil refinery with a total capacity of 140000 barrels per day,” he also said.
“The fourth project is the establishment of a petrochemical plant of dozens of laboratories as well as other investment opportunities in Babel,” the official noted.
http://en.aswataliraq.info/?p=113335
The director general of the Babel investment commission said on Monday that the commission presented four investment projects during the recent London conference.
“The first project is an industrial city in Abu Sameeh region in south of Babel,” Alaa Harba said at a press conference on Monday (May 18) in Babel, noting that talks underway on this project with German investors.
“The second project is al-Mehnawiya island in northern Hilla, a touristic project to be built on an area of 2,210,000 meters and would be a touristic resort,” he added.
“The Third project is an oil refinery with a total capacity of 140000 barrels per day,” he also said.
“The fourth project is the establishment of a petrochemical plant of dozens of laboratories as well as other investment opportunities in Babel,” the official noted.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Iraqi premier: Political split between Kurds and Arabs must be resolved constitutionally
7-23-09
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/07/23/ap/politics/main5182327.shtml
Iraq's prime minister says the divisions between the Kurds in Iraq's north and the rest of the country are one of the most dangerous challenges facing his country.
Iraq's Kurdish region is locked in an increasingly bitter dispute with the central government over oil-rich land.
The Medes are the modern day Kurds:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/07/23/ap/politics/main5182327.shtml
Iraq's prime minister says the divisions between the Kurds in Iraq's north and the rest of the country are one of the most dangerous challenges facing his country.
Iraq's Kurdish region is locked in an increasingly bitter dispute with the central government over oil-rich land.
The Medes are the modern day Kurds:
| Isaiah 13:17-22 Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it. Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eyes shall not spare children. And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. |
| Jeremiah 51:11-12 Make bright the arrows; gather the shields: the LORD hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes: for his device is against Babylon, to destroy it; because it is the vengeance of the LORD, the vengeance of his temple. Set up the standard upon the walls of Babylon, make the watch strong, set up the watchmen, prepare the ambushes: for the LORD hath both devised and done that which he spoke against the inhabitants of Babylon. |
The Return Of The Medes - Jack Kelley
http://www.gracethrufaith.com/ikvot/the-return-of-the-medes
Isaiah said that Babylon would never be inhabited again after being judged, and Jeremiah repeated the pledge seven more times. Yet Babylon has been inhabited and is today. There must be a future role for the Great City, and it must be a major one to merit six chapters of the Bible.
Isaiah 13-14, Jeremiah 50-51 and Revelation 17-18 all speak of it. Isaiah 14 tells us why. It's because the real King of Babylon is Satan himself.
Isaiah 13-14 is a 2 chapter oracle about the destruction of Babylon, some of which we've highlighted above. But Isaiah 14:4 says, “You will take up this taunt against the King of Babylon” and from there on things get personal. In verse 11 he says, “How you have fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning” and then lists the five boasts that Lucifer made in his rebellion against God. It's one of only two glimpses the Bible offers into this mysterious event that many scholars believe preceded Adam's creation. The other is in Ezekiel 28:12-19 where Lucifer is called the King of Tyre. Both end in his utter defeat.
There are more good reasons to believe that the Babylon spoken of in these prophecies is an End Times city in Iraq, not the USA, and that it will be destroyed by the Medes, or rather their modern counterparts the Kurds. The Medes are mentioned in Isaiah 13:17 & Jeremiah 51:11, 28 as being involved in a destruction of Babylon that's never happened in history and will result in the eternal desolation of Satan's headquarters on Earth.
Isaiah said that Babylon would never be inhabited again after being judged, and Jeremiah repeated the pledge seven more times. Yet Babylon has been inhabited and is today. There must be a future role for the Great City, and it must be a major one to merit six chapters of the Bible.
Isaiah 13-14, Jeremiah 50-51 and Revelation 17-18 all speak of it. Isaiah 14 tells us why. It's because the real King of Babylon is Satan himself.
Isaiah 13-14 is a 2 chapter oracle about the destruction of Babylon, some of which we've highlighted above. But Isaiah 14:4 says, “You will take up this taunt against the King of Babylon” and from there on things get personal. In verse 11 he says, “How you have fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning” and then lists the five boasts that Lucifer made in his rebellion against God. It's one of only two glimpses the Bible offers into this mysterious event that many scholars believe preceded Adam's creation. The other is in Ezekiel 28:12-19 where Lucifer is called the King of Tyre. Both end in his utter defeat.
There are more good reasons to believe that the Babylon spoken of in these prophecies is an End Times city in Iraq, not the USA, and that it will be destroyed by the Medes, or rather their modern counterparts the Kurds. The Medes are mentioned in Isaiah 13:17 & Jeremiah 51:11, 28 as being involved in a destruction of Babylon that's never happened in history and will result in the eternal desolation of Satan's headquarters on Earth.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
172nd in Iraq: Latest deployment is quieter
6-25-09
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=63451
The 172nd Infantry Brigade, which patrolled the northern half of Babil province when it arrived in October, now oversees all of Babil along with Najaf, Karbala and Qadisiyah provinces, according to Maj. Richard Brown, a Reserve officer who runs the 172nd’s civil affairs group.
Last week, the brigade opened a $3.1 million Central Euphrates Farmers Market in Babil.
"It is the biggest market of its kind south of Baghdad and north of Karbala," he said. "The market is owned by both Sunni and Shiite, and we expect it to be a profitable business."
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=63451
The 172nd Infantry Brigade, which patrolled the northern half of Babil province when it arrived in October, now oversees all of Babil along with Najaf, Karbala and Qadisiyah provinces, according to Maj. Richard Brown, a Reserve officer who runs the 172nd’s civil affairs group.
Last week, the brigade opened a $3.1 million Central Euphrates Farmers Market in Babil.
"It is the biggest market of its kind south of Baghdad and north of Karbala," he said. "The market is owned by both Sunni and Shiite, and we expect it to be a profitable business."
Babylon: ancient history brought to life
7-21-09http://www.theredbulls.org/article210
Maj. Gen. Rick Nash, Multi-National Division – South commanding general, Brig. Gen. Gerald Lang, MND-S deputy commanding general for support, Command Sgt. Maj. Doug Julin, MND-S senior enlisted leader and other Soldiers and civilians visited the site July 18 to see what this ancient city has to offer for Iraq.
“The mission (to Babylon) was to educate those on the command staff and some of the primary staff members on the importance of the religious aspects of this country and what there is to offer,” said Julin. “Even though we are at war there are some very important things we have to preserve here and help them preserve as well.”
Sunday, July 19, 2009
The Fall Of Babylon - John F. Walvoord
There are a number of reasons for believing that [Revelation] chapter 18 is a subsequent event, though described in similar terms. The woman who is destroyed in chapter 17 is made desolate, naked, and burned with fire by the beast with the ten horns. From this it may be concluded that the destruction of the harlot in chapter 17 is the fall of Babylon in its ecclesiastical or religious sense and that it probably occurs when the beast assumes the role of God at the beginning of the great tribulation. The world church is destroyed in favor of a world religion honoring the political dictator, the beast out of the sea of chapter 13.
In chapter 18, the context seems to indicate that Babylon here is viewed in its political and economic character rather than in its religious aspect. The term “Babylon” in Scripture is more than a reference to the false religious system which stemmed from the false religion of ancient Babylon. Out of ancient Babylon also came the political power represented in Nebuchadnezzar and fulfilled in the first world empire. In some sense this is continued in the commercial system which came from both the religious and the political Babylons. It seems that chapter 17 deals with the religious aspect and chapter 18 with the political and economic aspects of Babylon.
http://bible.org/seriespage/18-fall-babylon
In chapter 18, the context seems to indicate that Babylon here is viewed in its political and economic character rather than in its religious aspect. The term “Babylon” in Scripture is more than a reference to the false religious system which stemmed from the false religion of ancient Babylon. Out of ancient Babylon also came the political power represented in Nebuchadnezzar and fulfilled in the first world empire. In some sense this is continued in the commercial system which came from both the religious and the political Babylons. It seems that chapter 17 deals with the religious aspect and chapter 18 with the political and economic aspects of Babylon.
http://bible.org/seriespage/18-fall-babylon
Friday, July 17, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
The Future of Babylon Project
7-7-09
http://www.khouse.org/enews_article/2009/1483/
Whether these references are to a literal city of Babylon on the banks of the Euphrates is the subject of great debate. We do know that ancient Babylon was not destroyed, but was overthrown by the Medes and the Persians quite peacefully one night. If we take the Bible seriously, Babylon is destined to rise again to power to receive the judgment that Isaiah, Jeremiah, and the Apostle John have described.
http://www.khouse.org/enews_article/2009/1483/
Whether these references are to a literal city of Babylon on the banks of the Euphrates is the subject of great debate. We do know that ancient Babylon was not destroyed, but was overthrown by the Medes and the Persians quite peacefully one night. If we take the Bible seriously, Babylon is destined to rise again to power to receive the judgment that Isaiah, Jeremiah, and the Apostle John have described.
Fruchtenbaum On Mystery Babylon
From The Footsteps of the Messiah by Arnold Fruchtenbaum:
http://ariel.org/
In (Revelation 17) verse 15, John interprets the meaning of the many waters over which the great harlot rules, saying it refers to the world population. Again, in prostituting the religion, the harlot moved from serving to ruling, and rules the world population for the first half of the Tribulation.
Verses 16-17 go on to describe the destruction of Mystery Babylon. The world religious system of the first half of the Tribulation will be destroyed in the middle of the Tribulation by the Antichrist and his allied kings (v. 16). Unknowingly, they carry out God's will in the matter (v. 17).
Finally, in verse 18, it is stated that the headquarters of Mystery Babylon will be the city of Babylon. Chapter 18 then details the destruction of the city itself as part of the Campaign of Armageddon at the end of the Tribulation.
http://ariel.org/
Want Middle East Stability? Move UN to Iraq
4-9-07
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/needtoknow/2007/04/want_middle_east_stability_mov.html
“Get the U.S. out of the U.N.!,” a sign near Gettysburg shouts. “The United Nations sabotages America’s security,” author Eric Shawn declared in his book The U.N. Exposed. Iranian spokesman Gholam-Hossein Elham told reporters that the U.N. “must be relocated from the U.S.” And a few days after Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez’s rant before a U.N. audience, a New York Daily News editorial encouraged Chavez to “take the atrophied, self-abasing remains of a global idea 2,100 miles to Caracas!”
The idea of moving U.N. headquarters seems to resonate with many—those who believe that the U.S. is being manipulated by anti-American and anti-Israeli elements within the U.N., as well as those who feel that the U.S. is doing the manipulation. For Americans, it would of course mean the loss of a global status symbol—but it would also mean the reacquisition of valuable New York real estate, fewer cases of diplomatic immunity for the legal systems, and perhaps a reduction of anti-American sentiment worldwide.
Where should it go? Try Iraq. While moving the U.N. headquarters to Venezuela or Iran is probably not wise, moving it to Iraq might be a strategic coup. There is even a ready-made location for it—Saddam Hussein’s 600-room palace and compound constructed over the remains of the ancient city of Babylon. Americans might even consider footing the bill for the relocation.
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/needtoknow/2007/04/want_middle_east_stability_mov.html
“Get the U.S. out of the U.N.!,” a sign near Gettysburg shouts. “The United Nations sabotages America’s security,” author Eric Shawn declared in his book The U.N. Exposed. Iranian spokesman Gholam-Hossein Elham told reporters that the U.N. “must be relocated from the U.S.” And a few days after Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez’s rant before a U.N. audience, a New York Daily News editorial encouraged Chavez to “take the atrophied, self-abasing remains of a global idea 2,100 miles to Caracas!”
The idea of moving U.N. headquarters seems to resonate with many—those who believe that the U.S. is being manipulated by anti-American and anti-Israeli elements within the U.N., as well as those who feel that the U.S. is doing the manipulation. For Americans, it would of course mean the loss of a global status symbol—but it would also mean the reacquisition of valuable New York real estate, fewer cases of diplomatic immunity for the legal systems, and perhaps a reduction of anti-American sentiment worldwide.
Where should it go? Try Iraq. While moving the U.N. headquarters to Venezuela or Iran is probably not wise, moving it to Iraq might be a strategic coup. There is even a ready-made location for it—Saddam Hussein’s 600-room palace and compound constructed over the remains of the ancient city of Babylon. Americans might even consider footing the bill for the relocation.
Final Report on Damage Assessment in Babylon
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001831/183134e.pdf
(United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)
(United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)
Soldiers help preserve history
6-29-09
http://www.theredbulls.org/article172
Soldiers of the 172nd Infantry Brigade are enabling documentarians, historians and preservationists ensure ancient Iraqi history is preserved and documented in Babil Province. The 172nd Inf. Bde. provides these experts transportation and security as part of their ongoing mission in support of the Babil Provincial Reconstruction Team.
The Babil PRT hosted the World Monuments Fund to conduct site surveys of Babylon, an ancient city near the modern city of Al Hillah in Babil Province. These surveys were conducted to determine the possibility of making the Babylon ruins a sustainable historic and tourism site and to develop responsible tourism associated with the ruins.
The World Monuments Fund is a New York based private, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites worldwide through fieldwork, education and training. The WMF is launching a project with Iraq to preserve the ancient city of Babylon, where King Nebuchadnezzar II, whose life spanned 630-562 B.C., built his hanging gardens, one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
“We are involving the local populace in the solutions to create a sustainable situation,” said Jeff Allen, the project team leader. “What you don’t want to do is develop something that outsiders are just going to profit from. You want something where the local populace benefits from it.”
“Future tourism will be one of the tools for economic development in Iraq, and we fear that Babylon could be eaten up by unmanaged development like the paving of roads,” World Monuments President Bonnie Burnham stated at the beginning of the project. “The city has never been mapped, and there have been very dramatic changes to it.”
http://www.theredbulls.org/article172
Soldiers of the 172nd Infantry Brigade are enabling documentarians, historians and preservationists ensure ancient Iraqi history is preserved and documented in Babil Province. The 172nd Inf. Bde. provides these experts transportation and security as part of their ongoing mission in support of the Babil Provincial Reconstruction Team.
The Babil PRT hosted the World Monuments Fund to conduct site surveys of Babylon, an ancient city near the modern city of Al Hillah in Babil Province. These surveys were conducted to determine the possibility of making the Babylon ruins a sustainable historic and tourism site and to develop responsible tourism associated with the ruins.
The World Monuments Fund is a New York based private, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites worldwide through fieldwork, education and training. The WMF is launching a project with Iraq to preserve the ancient city of Babylon, where King Nebuchadnezzar II, whose life spanned 630-562 B.C., built his hanging gardens, one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
“We are involving the local populace in the solutions to create a sustainable situation,” said Jeff Allen, the project team leader. “What you don’t want to do is develop something that outsiders are just going to profit from. You want something where the local populace benefits from it.”
“Future tourism will be one of the tools for economic development in Iraq, and we fear that Babylon could be eaten up by unmanaged development like the paving of roads,” World Monuments President Bonnie Burnham stated at the beginning of the project. “The city has never been mapped, and there have been very dramatic changes to it.”
U.S., Iraqi experts developing plan to preserve Babylon, build local tourism industry
6-28-09
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=63495
The remains of what was once the greatest city in the world occupy a vast site on the bank of the Euphrates River.
Their roots go back 3,800 years to when the city of Babylon was the heart of a Mesopotamian empire, and the remnants include great slabs of stone that are said to be the remains of King Nebuchadnezzar’s castle. A giant stone lion guards one end of the fortifications, but the most stunning remnants were removed by European archaeologists in the early 20th century.
Now soldiers with the 172nd Infantry Brigade are exploring the ruins as part of a U.S.-Iraqi effort to preserve the ancient city and plan for the return of Western tourists.
Members of the brigade’s 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment escorted a group of U.S. heritage tourism experts to the ruins last week for the first of several visits to develop a preservation and tourism plan for the area.
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=63495
The remains of what was once the greatest city in the world occupy a vast site on the bank of the Euphrates River.
Their roots go back 3,800 years to when the city of Babylon was the heart of a Mesopotamian empire, and the remnants include great slabs of stone that are said to be the remains of King Nebuchadnezzar’s castle. A giant stone lion guards one end of the fortifications, but the most stunning remnants were removed by European archaeologists in the early 20th century.
Now soldiers with the 172nd Infantry Brigade are exploring the ruins as part of a U.S.-Iraqi effort to preserve the ancient city and plan for the return of Western tourists.
Members of the brigade’s 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment escorted a group of U.S. heritage tourism experts to the ruins last week for the first of several visits to develop a preservation and tourism plan for the area.
Controversial move to reopen Babylon
5-20-09
http://www.theartnewspaper.com/article.asp?id=17332
The Iraqi government plans to open Babylon to visitors on 1 June, according to news reports. Iraq’s state board of antiquities and heritage is opposing the move, on the grounds that the site needs further protection and investigation before being reopened. This follows the controversial reopening of Baghdad’s National Museum on 23 February, after a government decision to proceed with this, defying opposition from curators who felt that it was too early.
The reopening of Babylon also coincides with suggestions that modern additions to the site introduced by Saddam Hussein should eventually be removed.
http://www.theartnewspaper.com/article.asp?id=17332
The Iraqi government plans to open Babylon to visitors on 1 June, according to news reports. Iraq’s state board of antiquities and heritage is opposing the move, on the grounds that the site needs further protection and investigation before being reopened. This follows the controversial reopening of Baghdad’s National Museum on 23 February, after a government decision to proceed with this, defying opposition from curators who felt that it was too early.
The reopening of Babylon also coincides with suggestions that modern additions to the site introduced by Saddam Hussein should eventually be removed.
Will Babylon City enter world patrimony?
5-23-09
http://www.alsumaria.tv/en/Iraq-News/1-32137-Will-Babylon-City-enter-world-patrimony%3F.html
After years of neglect, will the archeological city of Babylon enter world patrimony list or will the political situation come in the way? While reports have noted that the government is planning to reopen the historical city early June, the issue came under debate as the patrimony and vestiges committee rejected the proposal due to the need of providing more security in the city. Some reservations were marked as well on carves of former President Saddam Hussein’s name on walls and the use of modern stones in rehabilitation knowing that that this step comes in result of a debate between Tourism and Culture ministries on the reopening of Iraq museum.
Media advisor for tourism and archeology Abdul Zahra Al Talqani said the issue of reopening the city of Babylon for visitors will remain pending until proceeding with the issue of entering the city into world patrimony.
He added to Al Sharq Al Awsat that Iraqi archeological experts and specialists from the UNESCO and the British Museum are studying currently the possibility of entering the city into world patrimony while maintenance and rehabilitation will not start until the issue is decided.
Al Talqani revealed that disputes have been raised over maintenance works in the city by the former regime which were objected by the UNESCO including the use of modern stones in an archeological site and carves on walls of former President Saddam Hussein’s initials.
http://www.alsumaria.tv/en/Iraq-News/1-32137-Will-Babylon-City-enter-world-patrimony%3F.html
After years of neglect, will the archeological city of Babylon enter world patrimony list or will the political situation come in the way? While reports have noted that the government is planning to reopen the historical city early June, the issue came under debate as the patrimony and vestiges committee rejected the proposal due to the need of providing more security in the city. Some reservations were marked as well on carves of former President Saddam Hussein’s name on walls and the use of modern stones in rehabilitation knowing that that this step comes in result of a debate between Tourism and Culture ministries on the reopening of Iraq museum.
Media advisor for tourism and archeology Abdul Zahra Al Talqani said the issue of reopening the city of Babylon for visitors will remain pending until proceeding with the issue of entering the city into world patrimony.
He added to Al Sharq Al Awsat that Iraqi archeological experts and specialists from the UNESCO and the British Museum are studying currently the possibility of entering the city into world patrimony while maintenance and rehabilitation will not start until the issue is decided.
Al Talqani revealed that disputes have been raised over maintenance works in the city by the former regime which were objected by the UNESCO including the use of modern stones in an archeological site and carves on walls of former President Saddam Hussein’s initials.
Babylon Ruins Reopen in Iraq, to Controversy
5-2-09
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/03/world/middleeast/03babylon.html
After decades of dictatorship and disrepair, Iraq is celebrating its renewed sovereignty over the Babylon archaeological site — by fighting over the place, over its past and future and, of course, over its spoils.
Now, the provincial government in Babil has seized control of much of Babylon — unlawfully, according to the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage — and opened a park beside a branch of the Euphrates River, a place that draws visitors by the busload.
Now with the support of some officials in Baghdad, the local government has reopened the excavated ruins of Babylon’s ancient core, shuttered ever since the American invasion in 2003. It has done so despite warnings by archaeologists that the reopening threatens to damage further what remains of one of the world’s first great cities before the site can be adequately protected.
“Our goal is that these sites will be tourist attractions — to convey the real, civilized image of Iraq and to bring as many tourists as possible,” said the tourism ministry’s director, Qahtan al-Jibouri. “Iraq needs another source of funding in addition to oil.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/03/world/middleeast/03babylon.html
After decades of dictatorship and disrepair, Iraq is celebrating its renewed sovereignty over the Babylon archaeological site — by fighting over the place, over its past and future and, of course, over its spoils.
Now, the provincial government in Babil has seized control of much of Babylon — unlawfully, according to the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage — and opened a park beside a branch of the Euphrates River, a place that draws visitors by the busload.
Now with the support of some officials in Baghdad, the local government has reopened the excavated ruins of Babylon’s ancient core, shuttered ever since the American invasion in 2003. It has done so despite warnings by archaeologists that the reopening threatens to damage further what remains of one of the world’s first great cities before the site can be adequately protected.
“Our goal is that these sites will be tourist attractions — to convey the real, civilized image of Iraq and to bring as many tourists as possible,” said the tourism ministry’s director, Qahtan al-Jibouri. “Iraq needs another source of funding in addition to oil.”
Saddam's palace open to Iraqi public
4-5-09
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2009-04-05-iraqpalace_N.htm
Babil province in southern Iraq opened one of the former president's palaces to the public and has drawn thousands of curious visitors wanting an up-close view of the lavish compound.
The palace, which sits near the relics of the ancient city of Babylon, is in tatters from the war. The three-story fortress was overrun by looters as Saddam's regime fell in April 2003. It was commandeered by U.S. and coalition forces until late 2006.
Still, an average of 1,000 people have turned up each day since it opened in December, drawn by the mystique of the sprawling compound that was off-limits to all but a few during the dictator's rule.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2009-04-05-iraqpalace_N.htm
Babil province in southern Iraq opened one of the former president's palaces to the public and has drawn thousands of curious visitors wanting an up-close view of the lavish compound.
The palace, which sits near the relics of the ancient city of Babylon, is in tatters from the war. The three-story fortress was overrun by looters as Saddam's regime fell in April 2003. It was commandeered by U.S. and coalition forces until late 2006.
Still, an average of 1,000 people have turned up each day since it opened in December, drawn by the mystique of the sprawling compound that was off-limits to all but a few during the dictator's rule.
Archaeologists unearth Babylonian treasures
4-1-09
http://uk.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUKTRE53061M20090401
Iraqi archaeologists have discovered 4,000 artefacts mostly from ancient Babylonian times, including royal seals, talismans and clay tablets marked in Sumerian cuneiform -- the earliest known form of writing.
The treasures came to light, the Tourism and Antiquities Ministry said on Wednesday, after two years of excavations across 20 different sites in the regions between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the land ancient Greeks referred to as "Mesopotamia."
As well as Babylonian artefacts, there were finds from the ancient Persian empire and more recent medieval Islamic cities.
"The results of this excavation are evidence that Iraq's antiquities aren't going to run out any time soon," Abdul-Zahra al-Telagani, spokesman for the Tourism and Antiquities Ministry, said.
"They also give us the incentive to continue to work to rehabilitate our ancient sites to become tourist attractions."
http://uk.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUKTRE53061M20090401
Iraqi archaeologists have discovered 4,000 artefacts mostly from ancient Babylonian times, including royal seals, talismans and clay tablets marked in Sumerian cuneiform -- the earliest known form of writing.
The treasures came to light, the Tourism and Antiquities Ministry said on Wednesday, after two years of excavations across 20 different sites in the regions between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the land ancient Greeks referred to as "Mesopotamia."
As well as Babylonian artefacts, there were finds from the ancient Persian empire and more recent medieval Islamic cities.
"The results of this excavation are evidence that Iraq's antiquities aren't going to run out any time soon," Abdul-Zahra al-Telagani, spokesman for the Tourism and Antiquities Ministry, said.
"They also give us the incentive to continue to work to rehabilitate our ancient sites to become tourist attractions."
Saddam's palace still tells a story
3-22-09
http://www.thenational.ae/article/20090323/FOREIGN/849546822/1135/NEWS
It sits atop a man-made hill overlooking the ancient city of Babylon. In its prime – with its swimming pool, Roman-inspired columns, chandeliers and bathrooms complete with jacuzzis – it was a testament to the gluttony of the Baathist regime.
. . .
Mr Kadhim, who works for the local government, said plans were under way to redevelop the site and turn it into a conference centre.
He said it could, if security improved, even draw people from abroad for conferences. With its proximity to the ancient city of Babylon, luring archaeological buffs is another possibility.
“They have a plan … and they [the government] are giving us the money to renovate.”
Mr Kadhim estimates that to get the palace back to its former glory would cost about seven billion Iraqi dinar (Dh22 million).
http://www.thenational.ae/article/20090323/FOREIGN/849546822/1135/NEWS
It sits atop a man-made hill overlooking the ancient city of Babylon. In its prime – with its swimming pool, Roman-inspired columns, chandeliers and bathrooms complete with jacuzzis – it was a testament to the gluttony of the Baathist regime.
. . .
Mr Kadhim, who works for the local government, said plans were under way to redevelop the site and turn it into a conference centre.
He said it could, if security improved, even draw people from abroad for conferences. With its proximity to the ancient city of Babylon, luring archaeological buffs is another possibility.
“They have a plan … and they [the government] are giving us the money to renovate.”
Mr Kadhim estimates that to get the palace back to its former glory would cost about seven billion Iraqi dinar (Dh22 million).
New US embassy opens in Baghdad
1-5-09
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7811088.stm
The new US embassy in Baghdad has been opened, with a dedication ceremony attended by the Iraqi president.
The compound is one of the biggest and most expensive embassies the US has ever built, and was opened amid heavy security in the Iraqi capital.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7811088.stm
The new US embassy in Baghdad has been opened, with a dedication ceremony attended by the Iraqi president.
The compound is one of the biggest and most expensive embassies the US has ever built, and was opened amid heavy security in the Iraqi capital.
Welcome to the new US embassy
9-1-07
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article2364255.ece
Baghdad is a city of ruins - of burnt-out homes, of shops wrecked by suicide bombs, of the crumbling shells of Saddam-era palaces and ministries destroyed by smart bombs in the US invasion of 2003.
There is one notable exception. It is probably the only big new building project in the capital in the past four years. It is the new US Embassy on the west bank of the Tigris which the contractors will transfer to the US Government officially today.
A towering wall renders the huge new embassy almost invisible from ground level. For security reasons the State Department has refused all requests for media tours – promising instead to release pictures of the interior at some later date. The only way to view it is from the roof of the Babylon hotel, across the river.
U.S. To Help Rebuild City of Babylon in Iraq
2-15-09
http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.co...bylon-in-iraq/
Largely overlooked by the Western news media over the past few weeks was an enormously significant story. The government of Iraq is moving forward with plans to protect the archaeological remains of the ancient City of Babylon, in preparation for building a modern city of Babylon. The project, originally started by the late Saddam Hussein, is aimed eventually at attracting scores of “cultural tourists” from all over the world to see the glories of Mesopotamia’s most famous city. What’s more, the Obama Administration is contributing $700,000 towards “The Future of Babylon Project,” through the State Department’s budget.
“Officials hope Babylon can be revived and made ready for a rich future of tourism, with help from experts at the World Monuments Fund (WMF) and the U.S. embassy,” reports the Reuters news agency. “‘The Future of Babylon’ project launched last month seeks to ‘map the current conditions of Babylon and develop a master plan for its conservation, study and tourism,’ the WMF says. ‘We don’t know how long it will take to reopen to tourists,’ said Mariam Omran Musa, head of a government inspection team based at the site. ‘It depends on funds. I hope that Babylon can be reborn in a better image.’”
http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.co...bylon-in-iraq/
Largely overlooked by the Western news media over the past few weeks was an enormously significant story. The government of Iraq is moving forward with plans to protect the archaeological remains of the ancient City of Babylon, in preparation for building a modern city of Babylon. The project, originally started by the late Saddam Hussein, is aimed eventually at attracting scores of “cultural tourists” from all over the world to see the glories of Mesopotamia’s most famous city. What’s more, the Obama Administration is contributing $700,000 towards “The Future of Babylon Project,” through the State Department’s budget.
“Officials hope Babylon can be revived and made ready for a rich future of tourism, with help from experts at the World Monuments Fund (WMF) and the U.S. embassy,” reports the Reuters news agency. “‘The Future of Babylon’ project launched last month seeks to ‘map the current conditions of Babylon and develop a master plan for its conservation, study and tourism,’ the WMF says. ‘We don’t know how long it will take to reopen to tourists,’ said Mariam Omran Musa, head of a government inspection team based at the site. ‘It depends on funds. I hope that Babylon can be reborn in a better image.’”
Iraq's Ancient Babylon To Be Restored
2-12-09
http://www.rferl.org/content/Iraqs_Ancient_Babylon_To_Be_Restored/1492006.html
The Iraqi government will invite UNESCO to visit ancient Babylon this month to evaluate damage at the site, parliamentarian Mufid al-Jazaeri told RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq.
Al-Jazaeri, former Iraqi culture minister and chairman of parliament's committee on culture and antiquities, said that repairs and reconstruction at the ruins will begin once a report on the extent of the damage is complete.
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which is about 100 kilometers south of Baghdad, were built in 600 B.C. and were considered one of the seven wonders of the world.
Al-Jazaeri told RFI that Babylon's ruins sustained heavy damage under Saddam Hussein's regime and during the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 when a portion of the site was used as a military base by coalition forces.
Al-Jazaeri urged that Babylon remain closed to the public until restoration is complete.
http://www.rferl.org/content/Iraqs_Ancient_Babylon_To_Be_Restored/1492006.html
The Iraqi government will invite UNESCO to visit ancient Babylon this month to evaluate damage at the site, parliamentarian Mufid al-Jazaeri told RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq.
Al-Jazaeri, former Iraqi culture minister and chairman of parliament's committee on culture and antiquities, said that repairs and reconstruction at the ruins will begin once a report on the extent of the damage is complete.
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which is about 100 kilometers south of Baghdad, were built in 600 B.C. and were considered one of the seven wonders of the world.
Al-Jazaeri told RFI that Babylon's ruins sustained heavy damage under Saddam Hussein's regime and during the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 when a portion of the site was used as a military base by coalition forces.
Al-Jazaeri urged that Babylon remain closed to the public until restoration is complete.
Foundation stone laid for housing compound near Hilla
1-28-09
http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidZAWYA20090129061428/Iraq:%20Foundation%20stone%20laid%20for%20housing%20compound%20near%20Hilla%20
BABEL: A foundation stone has been laid for a housing compound west of Hilla city at a cost of $89 million U.S. dollars, according to the head of the local investment commission.
"Today, Babel's Governor Salem Saleh al-Maslamawi laid the foundation stone for a housing compound in Abi Gharq district (10 km west of Hilla), which encompasses 1,116 units in addition to service facilities," Alaa Harba told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
The estimated completion period of the project is two years, Harba added, calling on local and foreign investors to benefit from the province's geographic position and agricultural land.
Babel, a Shiite province that lies 100 km south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, has an area of 6,468 square kilometers (2,497.3 sq mi), with an estimated population of 1,385,783 people in 2003.
The provincial capital is the town of al-Hilla. The ancient ruins of Babylon (Babil, after which the region is named) are also in the province.
http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidZAWYA20090129061428/Iraq:%20Foundation%20stone%20laid%20for%20housing%20compound%20near%20Hilla%20
BABEL: A foundation stone has been laid for a housing compound west of Hilla city at a cost of $89 million U.S. dollars, according to the head of the local investment commission.
"Today, Babel's Governor Salem Saleh al-Maslamawi laid the foundation stone for a housing compound in Abi Gharq district (10 km west of Hilla), which encompasses 1,116 units in addition to service facilities," Alaa Harba told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
The estimated completion period of the project is two years, Harba added, calling on local and foreign investors to benefit from the province's geographic position and agricultural land.
Babel, a Shiite province that lies 100 km south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, has an area of 6,468 square kilometers (2,497.3 sq mi), with an estimated population of 1,385,783 people in 2003.
The provincial capital is the town of al-Hilla. The ancient ruins of Babylon (Babil, after which the region is named) are also in the province.
Iraqi bishops meet Pope Benedict
1-27-09
http://www.indcatholicnews.com/checkleb213.html
Yesterday the Holy Father received prelates from the Chaldean Church, who have just completed their ad limina visit. In the course of their audience with the Pope, the bishops gave him a cape used by Archbishop Faraj Rahho of Mosul and a stole belonging to Fr Ragheed Aziz Ganni, both killed in Iraq over recent months.
Through Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly, patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans, the Pope sent greetings to all the Chaldean faithful, assuring them of his fervent prayers "at this very difficult time for your region, especially for Iraq". Recalling, among others, Archbishop Rahho and Fr Ganni, he said: "I ask God that the men and women of peace in that beloved region may unite their efforts to put an end to violence and enable everyone to live in security and mutual harmony".
"The Chaldean Church, the origins of which stretch back to the first centuries of the Christian era, has a long and noble tradition", said the Pope. This tradition "is an expression of her deep roots in the East, ... and of the vital contribution she makes to the Universal Church, especially with her theologians and masters of spirituality. Her history also shows how she has participated actively and fruitfully in the life of your nations. Today the Chaldean Church, which occupies an important place among the various institutions of your countries, must continue this mission at the service of human and spiritual development".
http://www.indcatholicnews.com/checkleb213.html
Yesterday the Holy Father received prelates from the Chaldean Church, who have just completed their ad limina visit. In the course of their audience with the Pope, the bishops gave him a cape used by Archbishop Faraj Rahho of Mosul and a stole belonging to Fr Ragheed Aziz Ganni, both killed in Iraq over recent months.
Through Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly, patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans, the Pope sent greetings to all the Chaldean faithful, assuring them of his fervent prayers "at this very difficult time for your region, especially for Iraq". Recalling, among others, Archbishop Rahho and Fr Ganni, he said: "I ask God that the men and women of peace in that beloved region may unite their efforts to put an end to violence and enable everyone to live in security and mutual harmony".
"The Chaldean Church, the origins of which stretch back to the first centuries of the Christian era, has a long and noble tradition", said the Pope. This tradition "is an expression of her deep roots in the East, ... and of the vital contribution she makes to the Universal Church, especially with her theologians and masters of spirituality. Her history also shows how she has participated actively and fruitfully in the life of your nations. Today the Chaldean Church, which occupies an important place among the various institutions of your countries, must continue this mission at the service of human and spiritual development".
Project Created to Restore Ancient Babylon
1-7-09
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/project-created-to-restore-ancient-babylon/
After years of neglect, misuse and haphazard reconstruction of the ancient city of Babylon, a master plan is being developed for the restoration of the Mesopotamian site, in present-day Iraq. The project, called “The Future of Babylon,” was announced in a news release by the World Monuments Fund, which will collaborate with Iraq’s State Board of Antiquities and Heritage. Babylon endured numerous restoration and reconstruction projects during the reign of Saddam Hussein; it was heavily plundered after his fall, and used as the site of an American military base. The “Future of Babylon” project, financed by a $700,000 grant from the State Department, will map the city’s archeological sites, develop conservation plans and pursue possibilities for tourism and education.
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/project-created-to-restore-ancient-babylon/
After years of neglect, misuse and haphazard reconstruction of the ancient city of Babylon, a master plan is being developed for the restoration of the Mesopotamian site, in present-day Iraq. The project, called “The Future of Babylon,” was announced in a news release by the World Monuments Fund, which will collaborate with Iraq’s State Board of Antiquities and Heritage. Babylon endured numerous restoration and reconstruction projects during the reign of Saddam Hussein; it was heavily plundered after his fall, and used as the site of an American military base. The “Future of Babylon” project, financed by a $700,000 grant from the State Department, will map the city’s archeological sites, develop conservation plans and pursue possibilities for tourism and education.
"The Future of Babylon"
"The Future of Babylon" Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Funds Project to Develop Management and Conservation Plan for Ancient Site in Iraq
1-7-09
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2009/01/113648.htm
The U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce its support of a project to develop a plan for the management and preservation of the archaeological site of Babylon. Funded to nearly $700,000, this project will be carried out by the World Monuments Fund (WMF) in partnership with the Iraq State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (SBAH). Babylon stands out among Iraq’s rich contributions to humanity and “The Future of Babylon” project exemplifies the American people’s commitment to the preservation of human heritage and their respect for the cultural heritage of Iraq.
The management plan is expected to be completed within two years. Using a process driven by the significance of the site and the interests of the Iraqi stakeholders, the project will identify the purposes for which the site will be conserved and managed, and specify goals and policies to direct, guide, and regulate future uses and interventions at the site. The SBAH has dedicated a group of professional staff to collaborate on the planning and fieldwork tasks for the Babylon project. This process will produce methodologies for site management to benefit heritage sites throughout Iraq.
WMF, which has worked for over 40 years with communities and countries around the world to support the conservation and preservation of endangered architectural and cultural heritage sites, will collaborate with the SBAH on the Babylon site management plan as part of a larger ongoing project, the Getty Conservation Institute-World Monuments Fund joint “Initiative to Conserve Iraqi Cultural Heritage.” Among the goals of the Babylon project will be the development of technologically and culturally appropriate conservation solutions that also meet international standards; incorporation of holistic preservation approaches embracing environmental, social and economic factors; and economic self-sufficiency. For more information, visit www.wmf.org.
1-7-09
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2009/01/113648.htm
The U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce its support of a project to develop a plan for the management and preservation of the archaeological site of Babylon. Funded to nearly $700,000, this project will be carried out by the World Monuments Fund (WMF) in partnership with the Iraq State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (SBAH). Babylon stands out among Iraq’s rich contributions to humanity and “The Future of Babylon” project exemplifies the American people’s commitment to the preservation of human heritage and their respect for the cultural heritage of Iraq.
The management plan is expected to be completed within two years. Using a process driven by the significance of the site and the interests of the Iraqi stakeholders, the project will identify the purposes for which the site will be conserved and managed, and specify goals and policies to direct, guide, and regulate future uses and interventions at the site. The SBAH has dedicated a group of professional staff to collaborate on the planning and fieldwork tasks for the Babylon project. This process will produce methodologies for site management to benefit heritage sites throughout Iraq.
WMF, which has worked for over 40 years with communities and countries around the world to support the conservation and preservation of endangered architectural and cultural heritage sites, will collaborate with the SBAH on the Babylon site management plan as part of a larger ongoing project, the Getty Conservation Institute-World Monuments Fund joint “Initiative to Conserve Iraqi Cultural Heritage.” Among the goals of the Babylon project will be the development of technologically and culturally appropriate conservation solutions that also meet international standards; incorporation of holistic preservation approaches embracing environmental, social and economic factors; and economic self-sufficiency. For more information, visit www.wmf.org.
Iraq's poultry industry bouncing back
1-5-09
http://www.tradearabia.com/news/AGRI_154434.html
The violence-hit Babylon Province in Iraq is transforming now into one of the country's largest poultry producing areas, due to the efforts of the US Grains Council and the Iraq Poultry Fund (IPF).
The two organisations are working to help rebuild the country's poultry industry following its collapse after the start of the first Gulf War.
Now Babylon province is one of Iraq's largest poultry producing areas, according to USGC project director for Iraq Dr Abdellah Ait Boulahsen. 'The region now produces about 1,500 metric tons of poultry meat per month,' Boulahsen said. 'It is also the main supplier to Baghdad and the country's southern regional markets.'
http://www.tradearabia.com/news/AGRI_154434.html
The violence-hit Babylon Province in Iraq is transforming now into one of the country's largest poultry producing areas, due to the efforts of the US Grains Council and the Iraq Poultry Fund (IPF).
The two organisations are working to help rebuild the country's poultry industry following its collapse after the start of the first Gulf War.
Now Babylon province is one of Iraq's largest poultry producing areas, according to USGC project director for Iraq Dr Abdellah Ait Boulahsen. 'The region now produces about 1,500 metric tons of poultry meat per month,' Boulahsen said. 'It is also the main supplier to Baghdad and the country's southern regional markets.'
Building Babylon
12-19-08
http://www.thenational.ae/article/20081219/REVIEW/685350812/-1/ART
Among his many sins, Saddam Hussein sought to defy history. The ruthless dictator milked all the resources of his country, making no exception for its past. While waging war with Iran, he visited the site of Babylon, about 50 miles south of Baghdad. Unimpressed by the stubbly remains of the once great city, Saddam rebuilt a version of the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II – Babylon’s most famous ruler – over the ruins. He even styled himself as Nebuchadnezzar’s heir, mimicking the Babylonian monarch’s inscriptions on bricks that were time-stamped, “in the era of Saddam Hussein, protector of Iraq, who rebuilt civilisation and rebuilt Babylon.” Saddam’s posturing was meant to remind Iraqis of their glorious heritage, their abiding link to a vigorous and sophisticated empire that held sway over the Middle East nearly three millennia ago.
http://www.thenational.ae/article/20081219/REVIEW/685350812/-1/ART
Among his many sins, Saddam Hussein sought to defy history. The ruthless dictator milked all the resources of his country, making no exception for its past. While waging war with Iran, he visited the site of Babylon, about 50 miles south of Baghdad. Unimpressed by the stubbly remains of the once great city, Saddam rebuilt a version of the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II – Babylon’s most famous ruler – over the ruins. He even styled himself as Nebuchadnezzar’s heir, mimicking the Babylonian monarch’s inscriptions on bricks that were time-stamped, “in the era of Saddam Hussein, protector of Iraq, who rebuilt civilisation and rebuilt Babylon.” Saddam’s posturing was meant to remind Iraqis of their glorious heritage, their abiding link to a vigorous and sophisticated empire that held sway over the Middle East nearly three millennia ago.
Saddam Hussein's Babylon palace is opened to Iraqis
12-14-08
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-fg-iraq-palace14-2008dec14,0,7603356.story
Saddam Hussein never imagined this: day-tripping tourists standing on the roof of his sprawling palace overlooking the ancient city of Babylon, snapping pictures of his sweeping view.
For decades, the pale yellow structure high on a man-made hill has loomed over Babylon. During Hussein's time, Iraqis barely dared to speak his name, much less tread on his fancy stone floors.
But in celebration of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha last week, officials decided to throw open the palace doors to visitors. Entry was free, although for most it entailed a 25-minute hike up the winding road leading to the palace, one of scores built by Hussein during his 25-year reign.
The one at Babylon, about 50 miles south of Baghdad, is like most: huge, dripping in chandeliers and bound to elicit awe, disgust and anger from Iraqis stepping into it for the first time.
"Entering this place is a triumph for human rights," said Maytham Abdul-Amir, adding that the opening of the palace proved that "nothing can stand up against the will of the Iraqi people."
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-fg-iraq-palace14-2008dec14,0,7603356.story
Saddam Hussein never imagined this: day-tripping tourists standing on the roof of his sprawling palace overlooking the ancient city of Babylon, snapping pictures of his sweeping view.
For decades, the pale yellow structure high on a man-made hill has loomed over Babylon. During Hussein's time, Iraqis barely dared to speak his name, much less tread on his fancy stone floors.
But in celebration of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha last week, officials decided to throw open the palace doors to visitors. Entry was free, although for most it entailed a 25-minute hike up the winding road leading to the palace, one of scores built by Hussein during his 25-year reign.
The one at Babylon, about 50 miles south of Baghdad, is like most: huge, dripping in chandeliers and bound to elicit awe, disgust and anger from Iraqis stepping into it for the first time.
"Entering this place is a triumph for human rights," said Maytham Abdul-Amir, adding that the opening of the palace proved that "nothing can stand up against the will of the Iraqi people."
Chaldean Patriarch Seeks World's Attention
12-11-08
http://www.aina.org/news/20081210192359.htm
The highest-ranking Chaldean cleric in Iraq called on the world to focus on the plight of Christian minorities amid the turmoil in his country, and he said that Muslims also have shared the pain of the violence that still shatters normal society under the American-led occupation.
Cardinal Mar Emmanuel III Delly, 81, Patriarch of Babylon, spoke Tuesday in Metro Detroit among the largest Chaldean community outside of Iraq. He has remained in Iraq, despite injuries from shattered glass during an attack in 2007, amid the turmoil that many believe threatens the existence of the world's oldest Christian community.
http://www.aina.org/news/20081210192359.htm
The highest-ranking Chaldean cleric in Iraq called on the world to focus on the plight of Christian minorities amid the turmoil in his country, and he said that Muslims also have shared the pain of the violence that still shatters normal society under the American-led occupation.
Cardinal Mar Emmanuel III Delly, 81, Patriarch of Babylon, spoke Tuesday in Metro Detroit among the largest Chaldean community outside of Iraq. He has remained in Iraq, despite injuries from shattered glass during an attack in 2007, amid the turmoil that many believe threatens the existence of the world's oldest Christian community.
Can Babylon be restored?
12-10-08
http://www.southjerseylocalnews.com/WebApp/appmanager/JRC/Weekly;!944915439?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pg_wk_article&r21.pgpath=%2FSJL%2FOpinion&r21.content=%2FSJL%2FOpinion%2FTopStoryList_Story_2617312
Reports from Iraq say that there are plans to restore the ancient city of Babylon, south of Baghdad about an hour's drive if you're not delayed by something explosive.
Babylon was an important city about 4,000 years ago, and in its prime had elaborate buildings straddling the Euphrates River, surrounded by walls decorated with blue glazed bricks and entered through big bronze doors. The Biblical public works project called the Tower of Babel was there. So were the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which King Nebuchadnezzar II hung to have a pleasant place to relax when he wasn't busy with throwing people into a fiery furnace or other civic duties.
Such history book celebrities as Hammurabi, famous for inventing laws, and Alexander the Great, famous for being great, hung out there at times. After King Cyrus of Persia conquered Babylon in 539 B. C., things went down hill.
The town was in ruins by about 1,000 years ago.
http://www.southjerseylocalnews.com/WebApp/appmanager/JRC/Weekly;!944915439?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pg_wk_article&r21.pgpath=%2FSJL%2FOpinion&r21.content=%2FSJL%2FOpinion%2FTopStoryList_Story_2617312
Reports from Iraq say that there are plans to restore the ancient city of Babylon, south of Baghdad about an hour's drive if you're not delayed by something explosive.
Babylon was an important city about 4,000 years ago, and in its prime had elaborate buildings straddling the Euphrates River, surrounded by walls decorated with blue glazed bricks and entered through big bronze doors. The Biblical public works project called the Tower of Babel was there. So were the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which King Nebuchadnezzar II hung to have a pleasant place to relax when he wasn't busy with throwing people into a fiery furnace or other civic duties.
Such history book celebrities as Hammurabi, famous for inventing laws, and Alexander the Great, famous for being great, hung out there at times. After King Cyrus of Persia conquered Babylon in 539 B. C., things went down hill.
The town was in ruins by about 1,000 years ago.
High-ranking Chaldean cleric from Iraq visits Metro Detroit
12-8-08
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081209/METRO/812090429/1361
On a three-week tour of the United States, Cardinal Mar Emmanuel III Delly, the patriarch of Babylon, is meeting today with members of the largest Chaldean community outside of Iraq, here in Metro Detroit.
Delly, 81, is the highest ranking Eastern Catholic cleric in Iraq, and the titular leader of the oldest community of Christians in the world. He has remained in Iraq amid persecution of the Christian minorities, while other church leaders fled with hundreds of thousands of refugees.
He was injured by shattered glass in an attack in Iraq, shortly after his elevation to cardinal, in 2007.
"Being the spiritual superior of the community, it's important to ask him questions, especially because his chair is in Iraq," said Joseph Kassab, executive director of the Chaldean Federation of America, in Farmington Hills. "He is the only one who has not yet moved his chair from Iraq. He is very resilient and says he would rather stay with his people than to remove himself."
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081209/METRO/812090429/1361
On a three-week tour of the United States, Cardinal Mar Emmanuel III Delly, the patriarch of Babylon, is meeting today with members of the largest Chaldean community outside of Iraq, here in Metro Detroit.
Delly, 81, is the highest ranking Eastern Catholic cleric in Iraq, and the titular leader of the oldest community of Christians in the world. He has remained in Iraq amid persecution of the Christian minorities, while other church leaders fled with hundreds of thousands of refugees.
He was injured by shattered glass in an attack in Iraq, shortly after his elevation to cardinal, in 2007.
"Being the spiritual superior of the community, it's important to ask him questions, especially because his chair is in Iraq," said Joseph Kassab, executive director of the Chaldean Federation of America, in Farmington Hills. "He is the only one who has not yet moved his chair from Iraq. He is very resilient and says he would rather stay with his people than to remove himself."
Sifting reality from myth
12-4-08
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/features/2008/1204/1228311867018.html
For many, Babylon represents excess, greed and sexual licence, but its rich culture gave us the first numbers, law-making and astronomy, writes Mary Russell .
Outside the tall, ornate gates of the British Museum, tourists check their maps, taxis hoot, traffic lights change from red to green. Normality is here. But walk inside to the current exhibition, Babylon: Myth and Reality , and feel your blood chill as you step into the room dedicated to Belshazzar's Feast.
Belshazzar, the last king of Babylon, has invited 1,000 guests to a banquet which is shared with his wives and concubines. In the huge oil painting by Rembrandt we see them drink from gold goblets looted from the temple in Jerusalem by Belshazzar's father, Nebuchadnezzar. Suddenly, a human hand appears and we see it: the writing on the wall, there in front of us, the characters Hebrew, the language Aramaic.
"God has numbered the days of your reign," they say, "and brought it to an end." And with that, Babylon falls.
The Babylon myth in the Book of Genesis says that about 3,000 years ago a distant people started to build a tower that they planned would reach the heavens. Babel, it was called - the gate ("bab") of the god El or Bel, a deity related to our own Bealtaine, which itself means the fires of Bel. Bel also went under the name of Marduk, the god, perhaps not surprisingly, of accounting.
Babylon: did it exist, or was it a mythical place like Atlantis? In the exhibition we see the Mappa Mundi , and there it is - Babylon, straddling the Euphrates. The map, excavated in the 19th century, is made of clay and dates back to the sixth century BC.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/features/2008/1204/1228311867018.html
For many, Babylon represents excess, greed and sexual licence, but its rich culture gave us the first numbers, law-making and astronomy, writes Mary Russell .
Outside the tall, ornate gates of the British Museum, tourists check their maps, taxis hoot, traffic lights change from red to green. Normality is here. But walk inside to the current exhibition, Babylon: Myth and Reality , and feel your blood chill as you step into the room dedicated to Belshazzar's Feast.
Belshazzar, the last king of Babylon, has invited 1,000 guests to a banquet which is shared with his wives and concubines. In the huge oil painting by Rembrandt we see them drink from gold goblets looted from the temple in Jerusalem by Belshazzar's father, Nebuchadnezzar. Suddenly, a human hand appears and we see it: the writing on the wall, there in front of us, the characters Hebrew, the language Aramaic.
"God has numbered the days of your reign," they say, "and brought it to an end." And with that, Babylon falls.
The Babylon myth in the Book of Genesis says that about 3,000 years ago a distant people started to build a tower that they planned would reach the heavens. Babel, it was called - the gate ("bab") of the god El or Bel, a deity related to our own Bealtaine, which itself means the fires of Bel. Bel also went under the name of Marduk, the god, perhaps not surprisingly, of accounting.
Babylon: did it exist, or was it a mythical place like Atlantis? In the exhibition we see the Mappa Mundi , and there it is - Babylon, straddling the Euphrates. The map, excavated in the 19th century, is made of clay and dates back to the sixth century BC.
DoD News Briefing with Col. James and CDR. Vranken from Iraq
12-1-08
http://www.defenselink.mil/Transcripts/Transcript.aspx?TranscriptID=4323
Good morning. As stated earlier, I'm Colonel Tom James. I'm the commander of Task Force Vanguard, the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division. We're attached to Task Force Mountain in central Iraq.
Our brigade is arrayed across the Babil and Karbala provinces approximately 100 kilometers south of Baghdad along the southern avenues of approach into the capital city. Both of these provinces are under provincial Iraqi control.
We provide tactical overwatch in Babil province, partnered with the 31st Iraqi Army Brigade and the Babil police force. We stand in operational overwatch of the Karbala province with a military transition team, partnered with the 33rd Iraqi Army Brigade and a security element to escort the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Karbala.
There are five key points I'd like to make about the current situation in our area of responsibility.
First, the population feels secure, and the quality of life is improving.
Attacks are down from eight a day last year to less than two per week. When we arrived, the population could not move in 30 percent of our area of responsibility. They now enjoy freedom of movement throughout both provinces. The population believes in the Iraqi army and police, and no longer allows sanctuary to extremists.
The capabilities of the Iraqi security forces have improved dramatically over the last year, enhancing security and enabling positive and real growth in local economies and governments.
The second point: The Iraqi security forces are capable and competent. The Iraqi army and police have made great strides in terms of manning, equipping, basing and training. The Iraqi army is capable of conducting precise offensive operations, based on intelligence that they have personally generated. The army and the police work extremely well together, and the population believes in both organizations.
We continue to assist with training and provide reconnaissance and -- correction -- aviation assets as required.
The third point: Governance and economics continue to flourish in both provinces. The security situation allows the governors, provincial council leaders and directors general to routinely travel to north Babil and throughout Karbala, feats that were inconceivable only a year ago.
This -- (audio break) -- provincial leadership resulted in initiation of more than 100 government-sponsored projects in north Babil alone. Another 50 projects were facilitated by coalition forces but funded by ICERP, Iraqi money, applied at the local level.
http://www.defenselink.mil/Transcripts/Transcript.aspx?TranscriptID=4323
Good morning. As stated earlier, I'm Colonel Tom James. I'm the commander of Task Force Vanguard, the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division. We're attached to Task Force Mountain in central Iraq.
Our brigade is arrayed across the Babil and Karbala provinces approximately 100 kilometers south of Baghdad along the southern avenues of approach into the capital city. Both of these provinces are under provincial Iraqi control.
We provide tactical overwatch in Babil province, partnered with the 31st Iraqi Army Brigade and the Babil police force. We stand in operational overwatch of the Karbala province with a military transition team, partnered with the 33rd Iraqi Army Brigade and a security element to escort the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Karbala.
There are five key points I'd like to make about the current situation in our area of responsibility.
First, the population feels secure, and the quality of life is improving.
Attacks are down from eight a day last year to less than two per week. When we arrived, the population could not move in 30 percent of our area of responsibility. They now enjoy freedom of movement throughout both provinces. The population believes in the Iraqi army and police, and no longer allows sanctuary to extremists.
The capabilities of the Iraqi security forces have improved dramatically over the last year, enhancing security and enabling positive and real growth in local economies and governments.
The second point: The Iraqi security forces are capable and competent. The Iraqi army and police have made great strides in terms of manning, equipping, basing and training. The Iraqi army is capable of conducting precise offensive operations, based on intelligence that they have personally generated. The army and the police work extremely well together, and the population believes in both organizations.
We continue to assist with training and provide reconnaissance and -- correction -- aviation assets as required.
The third point: Governance and economics continue to flourish in both provinces. The security situation allows the governors, provincial council leaders and directors general to routinely travel to north Babil and throughout Karbala, feats that were inconceivable only a year ago.
This -- (audio break) -- provincial leadership resulted in initiation of more than 100 government-sponsored projects in north Babil alone. Another 50 projects were facilitated by coalition forces but funded by ICERP, Iraqi money, applied at the local level.
Babylon: A tower of strength
11-16-08
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/article5140213.ece
Apart from Sodom or Gomorrah, is there a city in human history with a worse reputation than Babylon?I can’t think of one. So deeply embedded in our assumptions is the squalor of Nebuchadnezzar’s capital, we can call a shoddy TV drama with lots of rumpy-pumpy in it Hotel Babylon, and everyone will know what to expect. It’s quite an achievement. The idea that Babylon was a sink of iniquity has penetrated to the deepest corners of the satellite schedules.
Babylon’s appalling reputation can be traced back to a single book.
I mean the Bible. That it happens to be the most extensively read book in the world is what gives the Babylon fantasy its remarkable reach. The destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians; the taking into captivity of the Jews; those sad psalmist laments about sitting by the rivers of Babylon, the Tigris and the Euphrates, and remembering Zion, have entered our global consciousness on a primary, Boney M level. Which is why the Babylonian hatred has survived more or less intact into our own times.
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/article5140213.ece
Apart from Sodom or Gomorrah, is there a city in human history with a worse reputation than Babylon?I can’t think of one. So deeply embedded in our assumptions is the squalor of Nebuchadnezzar’s capital, we can call a shoddy TV drama with lots of rumpy-pumpy in it Hotel Babylon, and everyone will know what to expect. It’s quite an achievement. The idea that Babylon was a sink of iniquity has penetrated to the deepest corners of the satellite schedules.
Babylon’s appalling reputation can be traced back to a single book.
I mean the Bible. That it happens to be the most extensively read book in the world is what gives the Babylon fantasy its remarkable reach. The destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians; the taking into captivity of the Jews; those sad psalmist laments about sitting by the rivers of Babylon, the Tigris and the Euphrates, and remembering Zion, have entered our global consciousness on a primary, Boney M level. Which is why the Babylonian hatred has survived more or less intact into our own times.
London Shows Babylon's Legacy
11-13-08
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aRfjgJ3LHRcM&refer=home
Not many of us have been to Babylon. For the last five years, its remains in southern Iraq have been partly covered by a military base. Yet we've all heard a lot about it -- the Hanging Gardens, the Whore and the Tower (admittedly of Babel, but it comes to the same thing).
For a town that peaked over 2,500 years ago, Babylon still has quite a reputation. The British Museum's new exhibition ``Babylon: Myth and Reality,'' which has arrived in London after stops in Berlin and Paris, clearly has a meaty theme. The result is a thought-provoking little show -- much more compact than the Berlin version -- focusing on the metropolis of Nebuchadnezzar (605-562 B.C.)
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aRfjgJ3LHRcM&refer=home
Not many of us have been to Babylon. For the last five years, its remains in southern Iraq have been partly covered by a military base. Yet we've all heard a lot about it -- the Hanging Gardens, the Whore and the Tower (admittedly of Babel, but it comes to the same thing).
For a town that peaked over 2,500 years ago, Babylon still has quite a reputation. The British Museum's new exhibition ``Babylon: Myth and Reality,'' which has arrived in London after stops in Berlin and Paris, clearly has a meaty theme. The result is a thought-provoking little show -- much more compact than the Berlin version -- focusing on the metropolis of Nebuchadnezzar (605-562 B.C.)
Has War Damage Hidden Babylon’s Ancient Secrets?
11-13-08
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/international/2008/November/Has-War-Damage-Hidden-Babylon-s-Ancient-Secrets-.html
The United Nations is leading efforts to restore the city of Babylon, but experts wonder whether it sustained too much damage during the Iraq War.
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/international/2008/November/Has-War-Damage-Hidden-Babylon-s-Ancient-Secrets-.html
The United Nations is leading efforts to restore the city of Babylon, but experts wonder whether it sustained too much damage during the Iraq War.
Can ancient Babylon be saved?
11-13-08
http://www.helenair.com/articles/2008/11/13/national/top/50na_081113_babylon.txt
Now, for the first time, global institutions led by the U.N. are thoroughly documenting the damage and how to fix it. A UNESCO report due out early next year will cite Saddam’s construction but focus, at the Iraqi government’s request, on damage done by U.S. forces from April to September 2003, and the Polish troops deployed there for more than a year afterward.
The U.S., which turned Babylon into a military base, says the looting would have been worse but for the troops’ presence. The U.S. also says it will help rehabilitate Babylon, funding an effort by the World Monuments Fund and Iraq’s State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, but has yet to release precise funding figures.
http://www.helenair.com/articles/2008/11/13/national/top/50na_081113_babylon.txt
Now, for the first time, global institutions led by the U.N. are thoroughly documenting the damage and how to fix it. A UNESCO report due out early next year will cite Saddam’s construction but focus, at the Iraqi government’s request, on damage done by U.S. forces from April to September 2003, and the Polish troops deployed there for more than a year afterward.
The U.S., which turned Babylon into a military base, says the looting would have been worse but for the troops’ presence. The U.S. also says it will help rehabilitate Babylon, funding an effort by the World Monuments Fund and Iraq’s State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, but has yet to release precise funding figures.
Iraq's damaged Babylon hopes for revival
11-14-08
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7729064.stm
Beneath a patch of stony, desert ground on the River Euphrates, surrounded by date palms, many of the secrets of the cradle of civilisation are still waiting to be uncovered.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7729064.stm
Beneath a patch of stony, desert ground on the River Euphrates, surrounded by date palms, many of the secrets of the cradle of civilisation are still waiting to be uncovered.
Babylon at the British Museum: When Nebuchadnezzar's ziggurat was the centre of the world
11-10-08
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/11/10/bababylon110.xml
A new exhibition explores the ancient city of Babylon - location of the great Biblical tower, and the origin of our moden misgivings about cities.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/11/10/bababylon110.xml
A new exhibition explores the ancient city of Babylon - location of the great Biblical tower, and the origin of our moden misgivings about cities.
Babel Now - Conversations with Babylonians (2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5n1OcgABFE
Quote:
"Babel, like any other Iraqi city . . . witnesses . . . feels . . . the impact of the turbulent conditions that affect the region.
"What distinguishes Babel is that it's situated at the center of Iraq.
"A city in this location, well, it has its . . . it has a special weight."
Babel Now - Conversations with Babylonians (1)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu24WJM4Llg
Quote:
"We need to reevaluate our cutural and visual heritage - heritage that stems from Babylonian culture.
"We need to transfer the memory into something material and tangible . . . whether through painting, clothing design, ceramics - things that people interact with on a daily basis.
"We must have the Babylonian fingerprint on our lives."
Audio Slideshow: 'Babylon' - myth and reality
10-30-08
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7697854.stm
(click link for slideshow)
The ancient city of Babylon - in modern-day Iraq - has engendered a rich legacy in art and thought, from great paintings to contemporary film and music.
Next month, the British Museum brings together such works of imagination with archaeological treasures - to try to reveal the reality behind the legends.
The exhibition will look at famous myths and stories - including the Tower of Babel, the Hanging Gardens, and King Nebuchadnezzar's madness.
Here - for Radio 4's The World At One - the museum's Assistant Keeper Dr Irving Finkel shows off some of the main exhibits.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7697854.stm
(click link for slideshow)
The ancient city of Babylon - in modern-day Iraq - has engendered a rich legacy in art and thought, from great paintings to contemporary film and music.
Next month, the British Museum brings together such works of imagination with archaeological treasures - to try to reveal the reality behind the legends.
The exhibition will look at famous myths and stories - including the Tower of Babel, the Hanging Gardens, and King Nebuchadnezzar's madness.
Here - for Radio 4's The World At One - the museum's Assistant Keeper Dr Irving Finkel shows off some of the main exhibits.
Syriacs, "Assyrians" and "Chaldaeans" are all Aramaeans
11-6-08
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/80293
A few days ago, the Patriarch of the Chaldean Church of Babylon, Mgr. Emmanuel III Delly, admitted that the ethnic identity of all the different names´ Christian groups is Aramaean.
This statement can play a great role in reuniting all the conscious parts of the multi-divided (due to Anglo-French colonial infiltrations and machinations) Aramaean nation; this would augur a completely different future for the entire Middle East.
Before republishing a feature well elaborated by the Aramaeans of Aram Nahrin, I briefly expand on the historical background of the different appellations employed by the various Aramaean ethno-religious groups of the Middle East.
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/80293
A few days ago, the Patriarch of the Chaldean Church of Babylon, Mgr. Emmanuel III Delly, admitted that the ethnic identity of all the different names´ Christian groups is Aramaean.
This statement can play a great role in reuniting all the conscious parts of the multi-divided (due to Anglo-French colonial infiltrations and machinations) Aramaean nation; this would augur a completely different future for the entire Middle East.
Before republishing a feature well elaborated by the Aramaeans of Aram Nahrin, I briefly expand on the historical background of the different appellations employed by the various Aramaean ethno-religious groups of the Middle East.
Another Iraqi province handed back
10-23-08
http://story.albuquerqueexpress.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/c08dd24cec417021/id/422068/cs/1/
The US military has handed control of security in the province of Babil, to the south of Baghdad, to Iraqi forces.
It is the 12th of Iraq's 18 provinces to be handed back to the Iraqis.
http://story.albuquerqueexpress.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/c08dd24cec417021/id/422068/cs/1/
The US military has handed control of security in the province of Babil, to the south of Baghdad, to Iraqi forces.
It is the 12th of Iraq's 18 provinces to be handed back to the Iraqis.
Iraqi Christians, Muslims Unite in Seeking Peace
9-26-08
http://www.zenit.org/article-23726?l=english
Interreligious peace-seeking in Iraq can take on many forms, ranging from meetings with high-ranking leaders of both religions to parish dinners that gather ordinary people regardless of creed.
On Monday, Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly, patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans and archbishop of Baghdad, met with Abdul Aziz Hakim, leader of the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council (SIIC), the Shiite party with the largest number of representatives in Parliament.
Cardinal Delly acknowledged "the efforts of the Baghdad government to promote security and stability, as well as unity among all Iraqis." For his part, the SIIC leader recalled "the historic ties that the country has with the Christian community."
http://www.zenit.org/article-23726?l=english
Interreligious peace-seeking in Iraq can take on many forms, ranging from meetings with high-ranking leaders of both religions to parish dinners that gather ordinary people regardless of creed.
On Monday, Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly, patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans and archbishop of Baghdad, met with Abdul Aziz Hakim, leader of the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council (SIIC), the Shiite party with the largest number of representatives in Parliament.
Cardinal Delly acknowledged "the efforts of the Baghdad government to promote security and stability, as well as unity among all Iraqis." For his part, the SIIC leader recalled "the historic ties that the country has with the Christian community."
Iraq to take control of Babel
9-28-08
http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_2400838,00.html
Iraqi security forces will take control of the central Shi'ite province of Babel within a month, the provincial governor Salem al-Saleh Meslmawe told AFP on Sunday.
"We have discussed with the government and the coalition forces and there is an agreement to transfer security. This will be done within a month," Meslmawe said.
Babel will be the 12th out Iraq's 18 provinces where security responsibilities are to be transferred to Baghdad by the US-led coalition forces.
"The security (in Babel) is very good and Iraqi security forces can control it," the governor said, adding that the transfer would take place between mid to late October.
http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_2400838,00.html
Iraqi security forces will take control of the central Shi'ite province of Babel within a month, the provincial governor Salem al-Saleh Meslmawe told AFP on Sunday.
"We have discussed with the government and the coalition forces and there is an agreement to transfer security. This will be done within a month," Meslmawe said.
Babel will be the 12th out Iraq's 18 provinces where security responsibilities are to be transferred to Baghdad by the US-led coalition forces.
"The security (in Babel) is very good and Iraqi security forces can control it," the governor said, adding that the transfer would take place between mid to late October.
The Hot Holiday Destination: Iraq?
9-22-08
http://frontpagemagazine.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=E81306D2-9183-45EE-A691-9FEAC26EE49D
The way Barack Obama talks of Iraq, you'd think the whole county is a sea of fire and blood, created by the United States. So he might be surprised to learn that tour operators in Europe and the Middle East are touting this "sea of fire and blood" as a new holiday destination.
One program just put on the market by Terre Entiere, a leading French tour operator, offers a "Christmas Pilgrimage" in December to Iraq's biblical sites, some of which date back more than 2,000 years.
Another program starts in January. Called "Forgotten History," it includes visits to some of the most ancient sites of human civilization in Iraq, the ancient Mesopotamia.
"Frankly, we were surprised by the positive echoes we had as soon as we launched our program," says Pierre Simon, a spokesman for the French company marketing the Iraqi holidays. "People from many European countries, not just France, are showing interest. They want to go and see for themselves."
http://frontpagemagazine.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=E81306D2-9183-45EE-A691-9FEAC26EE49D
The way Barack Obama talks of Iraq, you'd think the whole county is a sea of fire and blood, created by the United States. So he might be surprised to learn that tour operators in Europe and the Middle East are touting this "sea of fire and blood" as a new holiday destination.
One program just put on the market by Terre Entiere, a leading French tour operator, offers a "Christmas Pilgrimage" in December to Iraq's biblical sites, some of which date back more than 2,000 years.
Another program starts in January. Called "Forgotten History," it includes visits to some of the most ancient sites of human civilization in Iraq, the ancient Mesopotamia.
"Frankly, we were surprised by the positive echoes we had as soon as we launched our program," says Pierre Simon, a spokesman for the French company marketing the Iraqi holidays. "People from many European countries, not just France, are showing interest. They want to go and see for themselves."
Promoting a Vision of Tourist Bliss in Baghdad’s Dusty Rubble
9-21-08
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/world/middleeast/21tourism.html?hp
Humoud Yakobi gazes at the rubble-strewn parking lot, the maze of blast walls and the clusters of dusty palm trees on the island around him and sees hotels, restaurants and shopping malls, with throngs of people enjoying refreshments by the swimming pool or playing a round of golf.
“I always imagine it as some kind of heaven,” he said.
Mr. Yakobi, the chairman of Iraq’s Board of Tourism, is charged with attracting foreign visitors to his beleaguered country. Jazirat A’aras, an island in the Tigris that is just across from the fortified Green Zone and the new American Embassy, is central to his plans. He is seeking investors who might want to spend $2.5 billion to $4.5 billion to build on the island, which was a honeymoon resort before it was bombed and looted in 2003 and then taken over by the Americans for use as a construction yard for the new embassy.
As Mr. Yakobi and his colleagues envision it, the development would include “a six-star hotel,” spas, a yacht club, an amusement park, a shopping center and luxury villas, built in the architectural style of the Ottoman Empire-era buildings in Old Baghdad. The complex would also have an 18-hole golf course, the “Tigris Woods Golf and Country Club,” as it is called in preliminary sketches prepared by the Tourism Board.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/world/middleeast/21tourism.html?hp
Humoud Yakobi gazes at the rubble-strewn parking lot, the maze of blast walls and the clusters of dusty palm trees on the island around him and sees hotels, restaurants and shopping malls, with throngs of people enjoying refreshments by the swimming pool or playing a round of golf.
“I always imagine it as some kind of heaven,” he said.
Mr. Yakobi, the chairman of Iraq’s Board of Tourism, is charged with attracting foreign visitors to his beleaguered country. Jazirat A’aras, an island in the Tigris that is just across from the fortified Green Zone and the new American Embassy, is central to his plans. He is seeking investors who might want to spend $2.5 billion to $4.5 billion to build on the island, which was a honeymoon resort before it was bombed and looted in 2003 and then taken over by the Americans for use as a construction yard for the new embassy.
As Mr. Yakobi and his colleagues envision it, the development would include “a six-star hotel,” spas, a yacht club, an amusement park, a shopping center and luxury villas, built in the architectural style of the Ottoman Empire-era buildings in Old Baghdad. The complex would also have an 18-hole golf course, the “Tigris Woods Golf and Country Club,” as it is called in preliminary sketches prepared by the Tourism Board.
Myth world: ancient Babylon visits Britain
9-13-08
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2008/sep/13/heritage.exhibition
A tower which has haunted the imagination of artists and writers for thousands of years will rise again in the first exhibition devoted to the art, archaeology and dreams of ancient Babylon.
"When we asked people about Babylon many weren't quite sure whether it was a real place or a kind of fairytale, but what they had heard of was the Tower of Babel and the Hanging Gardens," said Irving Finkel, curator of the British Museum exhibition. "We have lavish evidence for one and not a scrap for the other, but we'll do our best."
The exhibition will recreate a lost city renowned for its engineers and mathematicians but also for its magicians and dream interpreters, with displays including brilliantly-coloured tile panels of lions and dragons taken from the great processional way towards the towering Ishtar gate.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2008/sep/13/heritage.exhibition
A tower which has haunted the imagination of artists and writers for thousands of years will rise again in the first exhibition devoted to the art, archaeology and dreams of ancient Babylon.
"When we asked people about Babylon many weren't quite sure whether it was a real place or a kind of fairytale, but what they had heard of was the Tower of Babel and the Hanging Gardens," said Irving Finkel, curator of the British Museum exhibition. "We have lavish evidence for one and not a scrap for the other, but we'll do our best."
The exhibition will recreate a lost city renowned for its engineers and mathematicians but also for its magicians and dream interpreters, with displays including brilliantly-coloured tile panels of lions and dragons taken from the great processional way towards the towering Ishtar gate.
Beat the crowds and think about a Baghdad vacation
9-2-08
http://www.caller.com/news/2008/sep/02/beat-the-crowds-and-think-about-a-baghdad/
If there's any question about the growing security in Baghdad, there is this: the government is asking for designs for a giant Ferris wheel that would be the centerpiece for a drive to increase, or maybe more accurately, to create a tourism industry.
This security, however shaky, has apparently given Iraqi authorities enough confidence to envision a giant Ferris wheel pinwheeling on the city skyline. The Ferris wheel, to be called the Baghdad Eye, in a takeoff of the London Eye that towers over the Thames River, would be 650 feet high and would carry riders in comfort inside air-conditioned compartments. "We hope to attract a great number of customers who will be able to see the whole city and enjoy the restaurants and pools on the ground below, " a city spokesman, Adel al-Ardawi, said in the best tradition of the local economic booster.
The war has put a grimness to Iraq that even the most optimistic plans would be hard pressed to dispell. But Iraq has the makings of a tourism hot spot. Iraq is the cradle of civilization, home to the ruins of Babylon, which are now part of a military base, as is the Ziggurat of Ur, the massive structure built by the ancient Sumerians who invented writing.
If Baghdad officials feel secure enough to think about tourists riding Ferris wheels, never mind whether any tourist is brave enough to ride one, the day when peace comes to Iraq must be closer.
http://www.caller.com/news/2008/sep/02/beat-the-crowds-and-think-about-a-baghdad/
If there's any question about the growing security in Baghdad, there is this: the government is asking for designs for a giant Ferris wheel that would be the centerpiece for a drive to increase, or maybe more accurately, to create a tourism industry.
This security, however shaky, has apparently given Iraqi authorities enough confidence to envision a giant Ferris wheel pinwheeling on the city skyline. The Ferris wheel, to be called the Baghdad Eye, in a takeoff of the London Eye that towers over the Thames River, would be 650 feet high and would carry riders in comfort inside air-conditioned compartments. "We hope to attract a great number of customers who will be able to see the whole city and enjoy the restaurants and pools on the ground below, " a city spokesman, Adel al-Ardawi, said in the best tradition of the local economic booster.
The war has put a grimness to Iraq that even the most optimistic plans would be hard pressed to dispell. But Iraq has the makings of a tourism hot spot. Iraq is the cradle of civilization, home to the ruins of Babylon, which are now part of a military base, as is the Ziggurat of Ur, the massive structure built by the ancient Sumerians who invented writing.
If Baghdad officials feel secure enough to think about tourists riding Ferris wheels, never mind whether any tourist is brave enough to ride one, the day when peace comes to Iraq must be closer.
Iraqi PM Offers Iraqi Christians Protection
7-31-08
http://www.aina.org/news/20080731051628.htm
The Iraqi government will offer protection to the threatened Christian community in northern Iraq, the prime minister said Wednesday.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Baghdad will ensure Iraqi Christians are protected, following a meeting with the head of the Chaldean Catholic Patriarchate of Babylon, Emmanuel III Delly, Voices of Iraq reported.
"Maliki asserted to Delly his government's keenness to protect Iraqi Christians and provide them with all services to make them feel secure and stable in their country," a government statement read.
In early July a group calling itself "The Battalion of Just Punishment, Jihad Base in Mesopotamia" issued a series of threats against Christian churches in northern Iraq.
The meeting with Cardinal Delly follows an earlier visit by the Iraqi premier with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican.
Maliki said he would push for a multireligious conference in Iraq to gather church leaders from around the world to highlight the "brotherhood in Iraq," the government statement said.
http://www.aina.org/news/20080731051628.htm
The Iraqi government will offer protection to the threatened Christian community in northern Iraq, the prime minister said Wednesday.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Baghdad will ensure Iraqi Christians are protected, following a meeting with the head of the Chaldean Catholic Patriarchate of Babylon, Emmanuel III Delly, Voices of Iraq reported.
"Maliki asserted to Delly his government's keenness to protect Iraqi Christians and provide them with all services to make them feel secure and stable in their country," a government statement read.
In early July a group calling itself "The Battalion of Just Punishment, Jihad Base in Mesopotamia" issued a series of threats against Christian churches in northern Iraq.
The meeting with Cardinal Delly follows an earlier visit by the Iraqi premier with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican.
Maliki said he would push for a multireligious conference in Iraq to gather church leaders from around the world to highlight the "brotherhood in Iraq," the government statement said.
Iraq's new venture: Holidays in the Garden of Eden
8-1-08
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iraqs-new-venture-holidays-in-the-garden-of-eden-882635.html
It is a country that has become synonymous with suicide bombings and sectarian killings, abductions and refugees – the savage legacy of one of the most emotive and controversial wars of recent times.
Yet the government of Iraq insists all that will soon be in the past and that the cradle of civilisation, the land of Babylon and the Garden of Eden, will become a paradise for foreign tourists.
With the surge in US troop numbers curbing much of the violence in recent months, and the ragged economy buoyed by petrodollars, the Iraqi government maintains that the time has come for a concerted push to attract visitors under the slogan "tourism not terrorism".
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iraqs-new-venture-holidays-in-the-garden-of-eden-882635.html
It is a country that has become synonymous with suicide bombings and sectarian killings, abductions and refugees – the savage legacy of one of the most emotive and controversial wars of recent times.
Yet the government of Iraq insists all that will soon be in the past and that the cradle of civilisation, the land of Babylon and the Garden of Eden, will become a paradise for foreign tourists.
With the surge in US troop numbers curbing much of the violence in recent months, and the ragged economy buoyed by petrodollars, the Iraqi government maintains that the time has come for a concerted push to attract visitors under the slogan "tourism not terrorism".
Pack your bags for Baghdad? Iraq looks to tourism
7-21-08
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j8nfhQdJ76E141F8ATtvbFVQQf5gD923154G1
The opening of a new airport Sunday in the southern city of Najaf is expected to help boost the number of religious pilgrims, mostly Iranians, visiting Shiite shrines to 1 million this year, double the number that came in 2007.
"Safety is still the biggest concern," Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Grover, a Navy officer working with Iraq's tourism board on behalf of the U.S. government, wrote in an e-mail. "It will take a few risk-takers to invest in Iraq, but when that happens others should follow."
One risk-taker is Robert Kelley, an American businessman who stood at the edge of a field in Baghdad's Green Zone on Saturday and said a luxury, $100 million hotel would be built there. The zone houses Iraqi government offices and American diplomatic and military facilities.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j8nfhQdJ76E141F8ATtvbFVQQf5gD923154G1
The opening of a new airport Sunday in the southern city of Najaf is expected to help boost the number of religious pilgrims, mostly Iranians, visiting Shiite shrines to 1 million this year, double the number that came in 2007.
"Safety is still the biggest concern," Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Grover, a Navy officer working with Iraq's tourism board on behalf of the U.S. government, wrote in an e-mail. "It will take a few risk-takers to invest in Iraq, but when that happens others should follow."
One risk-taker is Robert Kelley, an American businessman who stood at the edge of a field in Baghdad's Green Zone on Saturday and said a luxury, $100 million hotel would be built there. The zone houses Iraqi government offices and American diplomatic and military facilities.
Firms look to open casino in Saddam's Babylonian palace in Iraq
7-21-08
http://en.rian.ru/world/20080721/114550980.html
Iraq's investment committee is studying projects proposed by U.S. and Russian firms to turn Saddam Hussein's palace near the site of ancient Babylon into a tourist site with a casino, an Iraqi paper said.
Government paper Al-Sabah quoted Saleh al-Muslimawi, governor of the Babil Province about 85 kilometers (55 mi) south of Baghdad, as saying that the projects also entailed the restoration of museums in Babylon. He declined to give the companies' names.
Babylonian architectural and religious monuments are on the list of investment options compiled by the province's authorities, the paper said.
http://en.rian.ru/world/20080721/114550980.html
Iraq's investment committee is studying projects proposed by U.S. and Russian firms to turn Saddam Hussein's palace near the site of ancient Babylon into a tourist site with a casino, an Iraqi paper said.
Government paper Al-Sabah quoted Saleh al-Muslimawi, governor of the Babil Province about 85 kilometers (55 mi) south of Baghdad, as saying that the projects also entailed the restoration of museums in Babylon. He declined to give the companies' names.
Babylonian architectural and religious monuments are on the list of investment options compiled by the province's authorities, the paper said.
Iraqi prime minister to view Berlin's Babylon exhibition
7-22-08
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1418714.php/Iraqi_prime_minister_to_view_Berlins_Babylon_exhibition__Extra_
Visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is to inspect on Wednesday a major exhibition of treasures excavated from Babylon in southern Iraq, German Foreign Ministry officials said.
The 'Babylon, Myth and Truth' show unites the most valued finds now in the custody of Berlin, Paris and London including the Processional Way and the Ishtar Gate which are permanently displayed in the Pergamon Museum on the Berlin Island of Museums.
The Berlin show till October 5 is a joint venture with the Louvre of Paris and the British Museum of London. It is the first time the treasures have been reunited in one place since being removed from the buried ruins of Babylon a century ago.
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1418714.php/Iraqi_prime_minister_to_view_Berlins_Babylon_exhibition__Extra_
Visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is to inspect on Wednesday a major exhibition of treasures excavated from Babylon in southern Iraq, German Foreign Ministry officials said.
The 'Babylon, Myth and Truth' show unites the most valued finds now in the custody of Berlin, Paris and London including the Processional Way and the Ishtar Gate which are permanently displayed in the Pergamon Museum on the Berlin Island of Museums.
The Berlin show till October 5 is a joint venture with the Louvre of Paris and the British Museum of London. It is the first time the treasures have been reunited in one place since being removed from the buried ruins of Babylon a century ago.
Welcome to Iraq, the hot new holiday destination
7-17-08
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/news/article4347211.ece
It has some of the finest archaeological sites in the world and some of the holiest places in Islam - but persuading tourists to visit Iraq has to be one of the toughest jobs around.
Hamood Massam al-Yakoubi, the head of the Iraqi Tourism Board, is confident that as the violence begins to recede, the brave and curious may be enticed to the country. “I would like tourists from around the world to visit because there is a lot to see,” he says.
As about 200 tourism operators, hoteliers and officials convened this week to discuss the once-booming industry, the recent drop in violence was emboldening them to encourage foreigners to return and restore the heyday of Iraqi tourism.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/news/article4347211.ece
It has some of the finest archaeological sites in the world and some of the holiest places in Islam - but persuading tourists to visit Iraq has to be one of the toughest jobs around.
Hamood Massam al-Yakoubi, the head of the Iraqi Tourism Board, is confident that as the violence begins to recede, the brave and curious may be enticed to the country. “I would like tourists from around the world to visit because there is a lot to see,” he says.
As about 200 tourism operators, hoteliers and officials convened this week to discuss the once-booming industry, the recent drop in violence was emboldening them to encourage foreigners to return and restore the heyday of Iraqi tourism.
Iraq Launches Itself As the Hot, New Holiday Destination
7-17-08
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23517309-details/Welcome+to+one+of+the+most+dangerous+places+on+earth:+Iraq+launches+itself+as+the+hot,+new+holiday+destination/article.do
It is still one of the most dangerous places in the world, but officials are determined to persuade tourists to return to the war-torn country.
If it wasn't for the suicide bombings, shootings and the ever-present threat of kidnap, it would not be a difficult task - Iraq has some of the world's finest archaeological sitesand the holiest places in Islam.
Which is why hundreds of hoteliers and tourism officials are meeting this week to work out how to attract visitors to Baghdad.
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23517309-details/Welcome+to+one+of+the+most+dangerous+places+on+earth:+Iraq+launches+itself+as+the+hot,+new+holiday+destination/article.do
It is still one of the most dangerous places in the world, but officials are determined to persuade tourists to return to the war-torn country.
If it wasn't for the suicide bombings, shootings and the ever-present threat of kidnap, it would not be a difficult task - Iraq has some of the world's finest archaeological sitesand the holiest places in Islam.
Which is why hundreds of hoteliers and tourism officials are meeting this week to work out how to attract visitors to Baghdad.
Expo of Greatest Babylon Treasures Opens in Berlin
6-26-08
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3440815,00.html
A touring exhibition of the greatest surviving treasures of ancient Babylon opens Thursday in the German capital Berlin at the Pergamon Museum, which already has one of the world's richest Babylonian collections.
Exhibition designers said the 1,000 items on display illustrated the vast cultural heritage of Iraq and would explore why western culture falsely associated Babylonian civilization with evil, with a Biblical tradition describing the city as the "Whore of Babylon."
The same cultural tradition has regarded the city as a failure, because it failed to complete its lofty Tower of Babel.
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3440815,00.html
A touring exhibition of the greatest surviving treasures of ancient Babylon opens Thursday in the German capital Berlin at the Pergamon Museum, which already has one of the world's richest Babylonian collections.
Exhibition designers said the 1,000 items on display illustrated the vast cultural heritage of Iraq and would explore why western culture falsely associated Babylonian civilization with evil, with a Biblical tradition describing the city as the "Whore of Babylon."
The same cultural tradition has regarded the city as a failure, because it failed to complete its lofty Tower of Babel.
Russia hopeful on talks regarding Iraq oil investment
10-8-07
http://www.iraqdevelopmentprogram.org/idp/news/new1732.htm
Iraq’s vast oil fields remain to be invested even as new ones are being discovered. Lately, oil has been discovered in the Kifl County of Hilla, Babylon, and before it in Diwaniyya and Samawa, with reports that Iraq may hold bigger reserves than Saudi Arabia.
http://www.iraqdevelopmentprogram.org/idp/news/new1732.htm
Iraq’s vast oil fields remain to be invested even as new ones are being discovered. Lately, oil has been discovered in the Kifl County of Hilla, Babylon, and before it in Diwaniyya and Samawa, with reports that Iraq may hold bigger reserves than Saudi Arabia.
Deals with Iraq are set to bring oil giants back
6-19-08
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/19/africa/19iraq.php?page=1
Four Western oil companies are in the final stages of negotiations this month on contracts that will return them to Iraq, 36 years after losing their oil concession to nationalization as Saddam Hussein rose to power.
Exxon Mobil, Shell, Total and BP — the original partners in the Iraq Petroleum Company — along with Chevron and a number of smaller oil companies, are in talks with Iraq's Oil Ministry for no-bid contracts to service Iraq's largest fields, according to ministry officials, oil company officials and an American diplomat.
The deals, expected to be announced on June 30, will lay the foundation for the first commercial work for the major companies in Iraq since the American invasion, and open a new and potentially lucrative country for their operations.
The no-bid contracts are unusual for the industry, and the offers prevailed over others by more than 40 companies, including companies in Russia, China and India. The contracts, which would run for one to two years and are relatively small by industry standards, would nonetheless give the companies an advantage in bidding on future contracts in a country that many experts consider to be the best hope for a large-scale increase in oil production.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/19/africa/19iraq.php?page=1
Four Western oil companies are in the final stages of negotiations this month on contracts that will return them to Iraq, 36 years after losing their oil concession to nationalization as Saddam Hussein rose to power.
Exxon Mobil, Shell, Total and BP — the original partners in the Iraq Petroleum Company — along with Chevron and a number of smaller oil companies, are in talks with Iraq's Oil Ministry for no-bid contracts to service Iraq's largest fields, according to ministry officials, oil company officials and an American diplomat.
The deals, expected to be announced on June 30, will lay the foundation for the first commercial work for the major companies in Iraq since the American invasion, and open a new and potentially lucrative country for their operations.
The no-bid contracts are unusual for the industry, and the offers prevailed over others by more than 40 companies, including companies in Russia, China and India. The contracts, which would run for one to two years and are relatively small by industry standards, would nonetheless give the companies an advantage in bidding on future contracts in a country that many experts consider to be the best hope for a large-scale increase in oil production.
Sweden's Scania to co-establish new firm in Iraq
6-1-08
http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?StoryId=1093198816
Iraq's Ministry of Industry and Minerals recently inked a signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Swedish motor manufacturer, Scania, Iraq Directory reported.
According to the memorandum, Scania will develop the General Company for Motor Manufacturing in the Babylon province. The agreement was signed on the sidelines on the minister's participation in the 2nd International Compact with Iraq (ICI).
http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?StoryId=1093198816
Iraq's Ministry of Industry and Minerals recently inked a signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Swedish motor manufacturer, Scania, Iraq Directory reported.
According to the memorandum, Scania will develop the General Company for Motor Manufacturing in the Babylon province. The agreement was signed on the sidelines on the minister's participation in the 2nd International Compact with Iraq (ICI).
China's Iraq goal worries Turk firms
5-24-08
http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=105382
Iraq, which drew foreign investment worth $41 billion last year, aims to reach a volume of $50 billion in investment this year, said Iraqi Minister of Commerce Abdulfalah Hasan El Sudani. Construction investments, which totaled $7 billion in 2005, are expected to reach $17-20 billion, he added.
http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=105382
Iraq, which drew foreign investment worth $41 billion last year, aims to reach a volume of $50 billion in investment this year, said Iraqi Minister of Commerce Abdulfalah Hasan El Sudani. Construction investments, which totaled $7 billion in 2005, are expected to reach $17-20 billion, he added.
Iraq Investment and Reconstruction Task Force
http://www.trade.gov/iraq/
Investing in Iraq’s Industrial Sectors
The Government of Iraq, led by the Iraqi Ministry of Industry and Minerals (MIM) is currently in the process of evaluating investor proposals to enter into joint venture partnerships between many of Iraq’s lucrative State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and international companies. These partnerships will permit investors to acquire production output from Iraq’s productive factories in exchange for investment of expertise and capital to improve and rehabilitate these assets. This initiative is part of a larger process to transition and modernize key industries through 2012. Minister of Industry and Minerals Fawzi Hariri has publicly confirmed that companies taking up these early ventures will have the right of first refusal on eventual privatization. The government has also established an investment board to oversee foreign direct investment in Iraq and the development of SOEs.
From April 19-20, 2008 at the Shangri-La Hotel in Dubai, UAE, Iraq’s Ministry of Industry and Minerals convened to meet with foreign investors to discuss these deals. The two day summit, was attended by over 150 company executives from every corner of the globe who were met by an Iraqi delegation of 85 individuals, including senior officials from the Iraqi Ministry of Industry & Minerals and director generals from over 45 SOEs-the largest delegation seen at any commercial event on Iraq, according to event organizers.
Investing in Iraq’s Industrial Sectors
The Government of Iraq, led by the Iraqi Ministry of Industry and Minerals (MIM) is currently in the process of evaluating investor proposals to enter into joint venture partnerships between many of Iraq’s lucrative State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and international companies. These partnerships will permit investors to acquire production output from Iraq’s productive factories in exchange for investment of expertise and capital to improve and rehabilitate these assets. This initiative is part of a larger process to transition and modernize key industries through 2012. Minister of Industry and Minerals Fawzi Hariri has publicly confirmed that companies taking up these early ventures will have the right of first refusal on eventual privatization. The government has also established an investment board to oversee foreign direct investment in Iraq and the development of SOEs.
From April 19-20, 2008 at the Shangri-La Hotel in Dubai, UAE, Iraq’s Ministry of Industry and Minerals convened to meet with foreign investors to discuss these deals. The two day summit, was attended by over 150 company executives from every corner of the globe who were met by an Iraqi delegation of 85 individuals, including senior officials from the Iraqi Ministry of Industry & Minerals and director generals from over 45 SOEs-the largest delegation seen at any commercial event on Iraq, according to event organizers.
North Babil USACE projects register significant gains
5-17-08
http://www.blackanthem.com/News/U_S_Military_19/North-Babil-USACE-projects-register-significant-gains16590.shtml
Two key projects in Iraq 's North Babil province--the rehabilitation of a vocational-technical school and the construction of a maternity hospital--are registering significant gains.
The second phase of a three-pronged effort at the Iskandariyah Vo-Tech was just completed and an important third phase, to include refurbishing dormitories, will start soon, said Lt. Col. Gregory McMahan, head of the Forat Area Office of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The Vo-Tech project is a top priority of Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, commander of the Third Infantry Division, who views the project as critical because it provides job skills and expands options for young people in the area. The project is being funded with 3rd ID CERP (Commander's Emergency Response Program) funds and is being managed by USACE.
Also hitting its stride after a start slowed by a now-resolved land dispute is construction of a maternity and pediatrics hospital in Mussayyib. The contract for the job is nearly $5 million. Winbourne ("Mac") Drake, serving as a construction representative with GRS, voiced confidence that the job will continue to progress satisfactorily due to the close cooperation between the contractor and his local office.
This project will provide a 50-bed hospital, including a surgery wing, outpatient care, a premature infant nursery, and other maternity and pediatric care. The new hospital will replace a deteriorating hospital in the same city. McMahan said the work is of high quality, with special care being taken to provide an immaculate, attractive complex.
Construction is now about 40 percent completed. The hospital is projected to be finished is early October 2008.
http://www.blackanthem.com/News/U_S_Military_19/North-Babil-USACE-projects-register-significant-gains16590.shtml
Two key projects in Iraq 's North Babil province--the rehabilitation of a vocational-technical school and the construction of a maternity hospital--are registering significant gains.
The second phase of a three-pronged effort at the Iskandariyah Vo-Tech was just completed and an important third phase, to include refurbishing dormitories, will start soon, said Lt. Col. Gregory McMahan, head of the Forat Area Office of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The Vo-Tech project is a top priority of Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, commander of the Third Infantry Division, who views the project as critical because it provides job skills and expands options for young people in the area. The project is being funded with 3rd ID CERP (Commander's Emergency Response Program) funds and is being managed by USACE.
Also hitting its stride after a start slowed by a now-resolved land dispute is construction of a maternity and pediatrics hospital in Mussayyib. The contract for the job is nearly $5 million. Winbourne ("Mac") Drake, serving as a construction representative with GRS, voiced confidence that the job will continue to progress satisfactorily due to the close cooperation between the contractor and his local office.
This project will provide a 50-bed hospital, including a surgery wing, outpatient care, a premature infant nursery, and other maternity and pediatric care. The new hospital will replace a deteriorating hospital in the same city. McMahan said the work is of high quality, with special care being taken to provide an immaculate, attractive complex.
Construction is now about 40 percent completed. The hospital is projected to be finished is early October 2008.
Iraqis hooked on 'mazgouf' dream of fish farm bonanza
5-28-08
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/iraq/20080528-0859-iraq-fish-.html
Iraqis are very fond of 'mazgouf', fish split open and cooked over a wood fire.
But years of conflict and environmental woes have cut the supply of much-prized river fish, the preferred ingredient to make the dish.
The U.S. government is footing the bill for millions of three-month-old carp that will be sent out from Iraq's largest hatchery to about 1,000 fish farms in Babil province, a traditional fish farming area south of Baghdad. There, they will grow to full size before being sold.
The Euphrates Fish Farm began life as one of Saddam's showpiece projects in 1979, within sight of the imposing palace Saddam built on the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon.
Years of war, sanctions and strife reduced it to a shadow of its former self. Production of baby fish, known as fingerlings, dropped to fewer than 2 million last year, down from 12 million in the early 1990s.
This year, output is back up to 12 million again, thanks to $3.6 million in U.S. aid. Fully grown, those fish could be worth about $180 million in Iraqi markets.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/iraq/20080528-0859-iraq-fish-.html
Iraqis are very fond of 'mazgouf', fish split open and cooked over a wood fire.
But years of conflict and environmental woes have cut the supply of much-prized river fish, the preferred ingredient to make the dish.
The U.S. government is footing the bill for millions of three-month-old carp that will be sent out from Iraq's largest hatchery to about 1,000 fish farms in Babil province, a traditional fish farming area south of Baghdad. There, they will grow to full size before being sold.
The Euphrates Fish Farm began life as one of Saddam's showpiece projects in 1979, within sight of the imposing palace Saddam built on the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon.
Years of war, sanctions and strife reduced it to a shadow of its former self. Production of baby fish, known as fingerlings, dropped to fewer than 2 million last year, down from 12 million in the early 1990s.
This year, output is back up to 12 million again, thanks to $3.6 million in U.S. aid. Fully grown, those fish could be worth about $180 million in Iraqi markets.
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