Awareness - Avasa

Thanks to the collaboration, enthusiasm and constant commitment of two of our Kurdish collaborators in Qamishli, Ristom Abdo and Amer Ahmad, we have started a campaign to raise awareness on the past and the landscape, which will touch all the 22 villages that are within the area of the eco-archaeological park.
Our goal is to explain to the local communities the importance of archeology, and in particular of Urkesh, for their present identity and for the development of future cultural, social and economic activities linked to the site. We also underline the importance of protecting the landscape and the local traditions – precious resources that should be preserved and maintained in good conditions, despite and actually because of the current difficult times, waiting for the moment when they can become a treasure to be valued for an economic and moral rebirth of the whole area..

The presentation
in the Hajji Nasr village

Careful attendants
in the Sabahia village

The results obtained from the first meetings are extremely encouraging: a large number of men, accompanied by women and children, listen carefully to the presentations of our collaborators, watch videos and images that tell them about Mozan and the Hurrian civilization, hear descriptions of the past excavation campaigns and of the materials found just a few kilometers away from their villages.

At the end of the presentations, the question is almost inevitable: "When will archaeologists return to dig at Urkesh?"..
Men and women also ask how to preserve the fragile walls of the Tupkish Palace, how to protect the landscape around the archaeological site, which role in this process they have.

Finally, each village receives several copies of our publications in Arabic, English and Kurdish: in this way, we contribute to the creation of small local libraries, where the residents of these villages can go to read and research about the topics that they have heard in Amer's and Ristom's presentations.

Distribution of the publications on Mozan at the end of the presentation in the village of Topez

Activities      Here is a list of recent activities carried out in the villages around Urkesh under the supervision of Amer Ahmad, to raise awareness among the local communities and in particular in the young generations.
     Click on the link to find out more, from our "Events" page.
     - November 10, 2020. "Archaeology for a young future" wins the ILUCIDARE Special Prize 2020 for excellence in Heritage-led International Relations.
     - February 17, 2020. A new beginning for the School Project.
     - March 13, 2019. Visiting villages.
     - June 11, 2018. The end of the awareness campaign.
     - May 2018. The awareness campaign in 6 more villages.
     - April 25, 2018. Opening of the exhibition in Qamishli.
     - April 19, 2018. Awareness campaign in Simitek Ezzo and Maamarlo.
     - April 5, 2018. Awareness campaign in Sabahia.
     - April 4, 2018. New middle school students join the program.
     - March 1, 2018. Hajji Nasr awareness program.
     - Februrary 22, 2018. Awareness program at Topez.
     - January 2018. Urkesh at the Qamishli middle school.