“Women in Modern History” Exhibition Opens Online and Physically at the Syriac Heritage Museum in Kurdistan
July 16, 2024
First virtual historical exhibition on Women in the Modern Era in Iraq is the latest effort from the AC’s Preserving the Culture of Religious Minorities Project
On June 9, 2024, the U.S. Consul General in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, Mr. Mark Stroh, opened a first-of-its-kind hybrid exhibition called “Women in Modern History” at the Syriac Heritage Museum in Erbil, Iraq. The combination online and physical exhibition is the first virtual historical presentation about women in the modern era ever mounted in Iraq and includes a gallery exhibit of objects from the museum collection.
Mr. Kaldo Ramzi“This is an exhibition of firsts,” said the Director General of Syriac Culture and Arts in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, Mr. Kaldo Ramzi. “It is the first exhibit focused on women in history and their contribution to Syriac culture and society. Additionally, it is the first combination online and in-person exhibition for the museum, with the online component allowing us to reach a worldwide audience.”
“We are thrilled to be a part of bringing this exhibit to life, to highlight the historic contributions of the Syriac Community,” US Consul General Mark Stroh remarked. “This initiative stands as a testament to the remarkable power of collaboration. It has brought together partners from the U.S. Government, University of Dayton, Iraq, and the Antiquities Coalition to meticulously research and highlight the significant contributions of distinguished Syriac women.”
The exhibition is part of an on-going project to preserve and protect the culture of minority religious communities in northern Iraq, led by the Antiquities Coalition and funded by the United States Agency for International Development. Project partners include the Syriac Heritage Museum, the University of Dayton, the Assyrian Aid Society, the Centre Numérique des Manuscrits Orientaux, and the Sinjar Academy. U.S. Consul General Mark Stroh.
The co-curators of the online exhibition are University of Dayton students Erin Pinto and Charlotte Capuano, who created the online presentation under the direction of History Professor Alda Benjamen, the Research Director of the Antiquities Coalition project. It tells the stories of four leading women from the community.
Screenshot from the online exhibition“Maria Theresa Asmar, Surma Khanum, Maryam Nerma, and Lillie Taimoorazy are important figures in the cultural, religious, and political currents that conditioned the formation of Iraq and the Middle East, whose impact on the indigenous and marginalized communities from which they emerged should not be underestimated.,” Dr. Benjamen explained. “Their fascinating lives and accomplishments underline the crucial role played by so many women, both within their own communities and beyond, and thus the importance of preserving their memory.”
The President of the Supreme Council for Women and Development in the IKR, Dr. Khanzad Ahmed, joined the presentation alongside cultural and religious figures. It concluded with a call to action from Kaldo Ramzi, who urged “the preservation and digitization of all documents related to indigenous and marginalized communities as well as women in Iraq and the Middle East is everyone’s duty.”
“It’s a breakthrough,” said U.S.-based Project Director and Antiquities Coalition Co-founder, Peter Herdrich. “By creating an online exhibition, the history of women in Iraq is now available via the museum website to the local community, to the diaspora from the region, and to whomever is interested in learning more around the world.”
View the online exhibition at syriacmuseum.com/en/