Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Tomb of Nahum: MKs appeal to UNESCO

HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE: MKs turn to UNESCO to save prophet's tomb. The Prophet Nahum's tomb is located on the border between Kurdish controlled territory and territory controlled by the central Baghdad government, and is under threat from ISIS; Israeli MKs have turned to UNSCO to try and get help saving this and other Jewish heritage sites in Arab and Muslim countries (Roi Kais, YNet News).
After receiving pictures detailing the poor condition of the site, MK [Ksenia] Svetlova, along with several other MKs, went to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) with a letter asking them to help preserve this and other Jewish heritage sites.

"We heard worrying news about the fate of the site recently, which, as we know, is in a region of geopolitical and economic turmoil," the letter read. It continued, asking UNESCO "to work in every way possible to protect the site and mitigate damage to it, and to bring it up the next time you discuss protecting ancient sites in your council."

"We need to save what we can"
The MKS also turned to the Kurdish Regional Government in northern Iraq, and asked them to get involved in the issue. If the UNESCO request doesn’t bear fruit, then the MKs will turn to other Jewish organizations who deal with the issue of Middle Easter Jewry.
Good. I hope it does some good.

Background on the (traditional) Tomb of Nahum, the dangers it has faced, and its current crumbling state, are here and links.