US commits additional $500,000 for restoration of Yezidi Lalish temple

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – US Consul General Rob Waller announced a $500,000 grant for the "restoration and preservation" of the sacred Lalish temple during a visit with Yezidi leaders on Wednesday.

"The United States has now provided more than one million dollars to ensure the longevity and preservation of this irreplaceable national treasure," the consul said in a speech at the site.  

Located in the Lalish village in the district of Sheikhan in the Kurdistan Region, the temple is the holiest site in the Yezidi religion. It site also includes the tomb of Sheikh Uday bin Musafir al-Hakari and thousands of Yezidis visit the temple from around the world every year.

Waller toured the temple and reviewed ongoing restoration efforts during his visit, the US Consulate General in Erbil stated in a tweet.  

The consul expressed gratitude on behalf of the US government to those involved in the restoration project and discussed his hopes for the future of the site. "I would be remiss if I did not recognize the extraordinary work done by Salim al-Menen, the project leader from the University of Pennsylvania, and his team for restoring what I trust will one day soon be a UNESCO world heritage site," he stated.

Waller discussed past US efforts to protect cultural heritage sites across Iraq and the steps that have been taken by US government agencies to assist the diverse population of northern Iraq in recovering from the brutal reign of ISIS.

"With the addition of this grant the United States, through the US Agency for International Development and other agencies, has provided more than 470 million dollars to help the religious and ethnic components of northern Iraq to recover from the barbarism of ISIS," he said.

The Islamic State (ISIS) group invaded the district of Shingal in 2014, destroying critical infrastructure and cultural sites while forcing more than 150,000 Yezidis to flee. Following the liberation of the area, efforts to rebuild and protect important sites have been reinvigorated. The last time the temple was renovated was in 1979.

"This is like Vatican City for the Yezidis... This wasn't impacted by the Islamic State, but the Yezidis [asked] that if we were going to do anything, we help them restore Lalish," said Richard L. Zettler, an archeologist from the University of Pennsylvania involved in the restoration.  

The Consul reiterated US commitment to the restoration and preservation of important cultural sites throughout northern Iraq throughout the months and years to come.

"Their efforts have been instrumental in preserving this invaluable piece of Iraq's cultural legacy and complement similar efforts, also in partnership with the United States to preserve and restore the Erbil Citadel, the Amedy Gate, the Tomb of Nahom, Demar gorges in Mosul, as well as to support the Sulaimani museum and the Kurdish Heritage Institute," Waller said.

Waller expressed his condolences to the religious and ethnic minority for the passing of the Yezidi spiritual leader Baba Sheikh Khurto Hajji Ismail.

"I'm sure he would be pleased to see us today united in friendship and our commitment to preserving the spiritual and cultural treasure which is so central to the lives of Yezidis everywhere,” he said. 

 

By Gabriel Piccillo