Dawodiya
Encyclopedia
Assyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
n village close to the Sapna valley in the Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i province of Dohuk. Gara Mount bounds the Sapna valley to south and Matean Mount to the north. The valley stretches 25 kilometres in length and varies from 5 to 10 kilometres wide.
Some references indicate that the village of Dawodiyaof existed in pre-Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
times while others suggest that it was built in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. While residents of Dawodiya, are not certain of the village's exact age, they assume it was several centuries ago when some Assyria
Assyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
n Christian families escaped the persecution of Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
authorities during their original occupation of Botan in southern Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
.
The British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
scholar Austen Henry Layard
Austen Henry Layard
Sir Austen Henry Layard GCB, PC was a British traveller, archaeologist, cuneiformist, art historian, draughtsman, collector, author, politician and diplomat, best known as the excavator of Nimrud.-Family:...
visited the village in the 1840s, spending one night there. In his writings he mentions that there were 200 families living in the village, a police station and a church. Layard also notes that Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
ism replaced the original denomination of those people who were the followers of the Assyrian Church of the East
Assyrian Church of the East
The Assyrian Church of the East, officially the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East ʻIttā Qaddishtā w-Shlikhāitā Qattoliqi d-Madnĕkhā d-Āturāyē), is a Syriac Church historically centered in Mesopotamia. It is one of the churches that claim continuity with the historical...
.
There are remains of the former police station established by the Ottoman authorities. Residents believe it was a fortified structure for the commanding officer of the Ottoman army in the region.
St. John, the Baptist Catholic Church in Dawodiya
Before its destruction along with the rest of the village’s houses and farms by Saddam HusseinSaddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
’s regime in 1988 Anfal campaign, this Church was one of the oldest churches in the area. The churches in this area were unique in their design and antiquity.
A typical church was typically large and separated by a thick wall (not less than one meter) from another smaller structure named after another saint.
The entrance to the main church passed through the smaller part, which always would be located to the south of the church. The altar was located in the east end and was placed slightly higher and separated by a thick wall. An arched door was in the middle of altar walls. To the southern part of the altar room was the baptism room.
The walls and ceiling of the church were built from stone and white mortar. The stones of which Saint John the Baptist was built were brought from nearby Mount Matean. The ceiling was arched but the roof surface was elevated because the outside walls were built to the same level as topmost of the arched ceiling so that walls and roof meet at same level outside.
The roof was destroyed in 1961 when the residents of Dawodiya were forced to flee from their homes during the civil war. But in early 1970s the bishop of the diocese of Amadiya decided to rebuild the ceiling. Thus new roofing of reinforced cement was placed and new and larger windows were built as well as a dome, bell, fences and reception hall were added to the church.
In 1988, the church and its old building and additions, could not withstand the destructive powers of dynamite, bulldozers and military might of the Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
's regime. The church was flatted.
Among the residents of the village who were ordained to priesthood are: Lazar from the Safar family, Hanna from the Somo family and Fillip from the Isaac family. The village has another student preparing in Baghdad to be ordained to priest. The village also produced many deacons who excelled in the Syriac language
Syriac language
Syriac is a dialect of Middle Aramaic that was once spoken across much of the Fertile Crescent. Having first appeared as a script in the 1st century AD after being spoken as an unwritten language for five centuries, Classical Syriac became a major literary language throughout the Middle East from...
. Late Metropolitan Hanna Markho served in the village before his death. Currently Ayyad, a visitor priest clergy from Mangesh
Mangesh
Mangesh is a town in the Iraqi Kurdistan region of Dohuk.The town lies in Barwari region and is populated by Assyrians.Several Assyrian leading figures were assasinated under unknown circumstances in the town.- Sources :...
, serves in the village.
Economy
Before the village's destruction, the plain lands of the village and plentiful water supplied from the Sapna River aids in the raising of crops through irrigation. Most common crops were apple, grape, tobacco, seasonal vegetables and grains. The grassy plains were available to raise domesticated animals such as sheep and cattle.First destruction
With the arrival in 1961 of systematic aggression, deportation and attacks started against most of the AssyriaAssyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
n Christians and their villages in the district of Duhok. The aggression was committed by the warring parties, especially the Peshmerga
Peshmerga
Peshmerga or Peshmerge is the term used by Kurds to refer to armed Kurdish fighters. Literally meaning "those who face death" the Peshmerga forces of Kurdistan have been in existence since the advent of the Kurdish independence movement in the early 1920s, following the collapse of the Ottoman...
associated with the central government against the Kurd
Kürd
Kürd or Kyurd or Kyurt may refer to:*Kürd Eldarbəyli, Azerbaijan*Kürd Mahrızlı, Azerbaijan*Kürd, Goychay, Azerbaijan*Kürd, Jalilabad, Azerbaijan*Kürd, Qabala, Azerbaijan*Qurdbayram, Azerbaijan...
ish fighters. As a result many Assyria
Assyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
n villages were destroyed and their people forced to flee. In 1962 Dawodiya was attacked by the Peshmerga and its 82 houses were destroyed. Approximately one thousand families were forced to flee and take refuge in other towns and cities. Several families of kinship used to live in a single house, as it was then the customs of the eastern societies that married brothers would stay along with their families living together. The 1961 war set the first step toward immigration to other parts of Iraq and abroad.
After the situation became relatively normal and stable, many families returned to Dawodiya and rebuilt their houses and the village school using their own resources. Water supplies were restored and the church was rebuilt and renovated.
Second destruction
When Iran-Iraq warIran-Iraq War
The Iran–Iraq War was an armed conflict between the armed forces of Iraq and Iran, lasting from September 1980 to August 1988, making it the longest conventional war of the twentieth century...
came to an end, the regime of Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
began his (Alanfal) campaign to destroy all aspects of life in Northern Iraq.
In September 1988 was totally demolished including its entire 33 houses, the church and the priest residence, school and police station. Its residents were deported to other Iraqi cities and towns and were prevented from returning.
Dawodiya today
In the aftermath of the 1991 First gulf warGulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
war the Northern Iraq was declared by the collation forces a safe haven and was placed under their protection. The Assyrian
Assyrian people
The Assyrian people are a distinct ethnic group whose origins lie in ancient Mesopotamia...
people returned to their destroyded communities and began overhauling them. But the long and hard process of reconstruction was difficult due to economic hardship and a lack of resources caused by endless years of wars and the economic embargo imposed on Iraq. International humanitarian organizations ultimately opened the door of mercy for help and reconstruction.
Dawodiya became a major shelter for the returnees of the great exodus across the Turk
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
ish borders because of its convenient location near the highway. Once these refugees returned to their prospective homes and villages, residents of Dawodiya began reconstructing their homes and village. Seventeen primitive houses were built initially by Kurdistan Reconstruction Organization (KRO). Drinking water was restored and a generator was installed for generating electricity. Construction of the church was to be funded by the Danish Church Aid Organization through the Council of the Middle Eastern Churches but work has not yet been completed due to lack of funds.