Iraq’s ancient heritage has suffered a lot of damage and destruction in recent years, especially at the hands of the Islamic State (ISIS), who targeted and demolished many historical and cultural sites and monuments. One of the most tragic and symbolic losses was the statue of a lamassu, a winged bull with a human head, that stood at the entrance of the Nergal Gate in the ancient city of Nineveh, near Mosul. The statue, which dated back to the 7th century BC, was part of the Assyrian civilisation, one of the oldest and most influential in the world. The statue was smashed and bulldozed by ISIS in 2015, as part of their campaign to erase the pre-Islamic history and identity of Iraq.
However, thanks to a remarkable and generous gesture by Italy, a reconstructed and replica of the statue has been donated and returned to Iraq, as a sign of solidarity and friendship. The statue, which was made with a 3D printer and a resin material, was created by the Italian digital archaeology institute Factum Arte, based on the photographs and measurements of the original statue. The statue, which is 2.8 metres high and weighs 1.8 tonnes, was unveiled and installed at the Iraqi embassy in Rome in 2018, and then transported and delivered to the Iraqi Museum in Baghdad in 2019.
The statue, which is the first 3D-printed replica of an ancient monument to be donated to another country, is a testament and a tribute to the rich and diverse heritage of Iraq, and to the resilience and the recovery of its people. The statue is also a symbol and a result of the cooperation and the collaboration between Italy and Iraq, and of the role and the value of the cultural diplomacy. The statue is also a hope and a challenge for the future, as it invites and encourages the preservation and the restoration of the other damaged and destroyed sites and monuments in Iraq, and the promotion and the protection of the cultural heritage of the world.
The Background and the Context of the Statue
The statue of the lamassu was one of the many artefacts and structures that adorned and protected the ancient city of Nineveh, which was the capital of the Assyrian Empire, and one of the largest and most powerful cities in the world at its time. The city, which was located on the eastern bank of the Tigris river, near present-day Mosul, was founded around the 7th millennium BC, and reached its peak of glory and prosperity under the reign of King Sennacherib, who ruled from 705 to 681 BC. The city, which was surrounded by a massive wall and a moat, had a population of about 120,000 people, and contained many palaces, temples, gardens, libraries, and sculptures.
The statue of the lamassu was one of the 15 statues that guarded the entrances of the city, and that represented the power and the protection of the king and the gods. The lamassu, which was a mythical creature that combined the features of a bull, a lion, a bird, and a human, was a symbol of strength, courage, wisdom, and authority. The statue, which was carved from a single block of stone, had five legs, so that it appeared to be standing still when viewed from the front, and to be walking when viewed from the side. The statue, which was also inscribed with cuneiform texts, had a human face that resembled the king, and that expressed a serene and confident expression.
The statue of the lamassu, along with the other statues and relics of Nineveh, was discovered and excavated by the British archaeologist Austen Henry Layard in the 19th century, who shipped some of them to the British Museum in London, and left some of them in situ. The statue of the lamassu that remained at the Nergal Gate was restored and reconstructed by the Iraqi authorities in the 20th century, and became a popular and iconic attraction for the visitors and the locals. The statue of the lamassu, along with the other remains of Nineveh, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003, and was recognised as a valuable and unique part of the human civilisation and culture.
The Destruction and the Reconstruction of the Statue
The statue of the lamassu, along with the other treasures and sites of Nineveh, faced a grave and brutal threat in 2014, when the city of Mosul was captured and occupied by the Islamic State (ISIS), a radical and violent militant group that claimed to establish a caliphate in Iraq and Syria. The group, which followed a strict and extreme interpretation of Islam, considered the ancient and pre-Islamic heritage of Iraq as idolatrous and heretical, and vowed to destroy and erase it. The group, which also looted and smuggled some of the artefacts and sold them on the black market, used explosives, bulldozers, hammers, and drills to demolish and damage many historical and cultural sites and monuments, such as the Mosul Museum, the Tomb of Jonah, and the Nimrud Palace.
The statue of the lamassu at the Nergal Gate was one of the victims and the targets of the ISIS rampage, and was smashed and bulldozed in 2015, as part of their campaign to obliterate the Assyrian legacy and identity. The statue, which had survived and witnessed thousands of years of history and change, was reduced to rubble and dust, and was mourned and condemned by the world. The statue, which was a priceless and irreplaceable piece of art and history, was lost and gone, and was seen as a symbol of the tragedy and the horror of the ISIS atrocities and crimes.
However, thanks to a remarkable and generous gesture by Italy, a reconstructed and replica of the statue has been donated and returned to Iraq, as a sign of solidarity and friendship. The statue, which was made with a 3D printer and a resin material, was created by the Italian digital archaeology institute Factum Arte, based on the photographs and measurements of the original statue. The statue, which is 2.8 metres high and weighs 1.8 tonnes, was unveiled and installed at the Iraqi embassy in Rome in 2018, and then transported and delivered to the Iraqi Museum in Baghdad in 2019.
The statue, which is the first 3D-printed replica of an ancient monument to be donated to another country, is a testament and a tribute to the rich and diverse heritage of Iraq, and to the resilience and the recovery of its people. The statue is also a symbol and a result of the cooperation and the collaboration between Italy and Iraq, and of the role and the value of the cultural diplomacy. The statue is also a hope and a challenge for the future, as it invites and encourages the preservation and the restoration of the other damaged and destroyed sites and monuments in Iraq, and the promotion and the protection of the cultural heritage of the world.
The Conclusion and the Verdict
The statue of the lamassu is a statue that represents and embodies the ancient and the modern history of Iraq, and the challenges and the opportunities that it faces. It is a statue that was created and destroyed by the human civilisation and culture, and that was recreated and restored by the human technology and innovation. It is a statue that was lost and found, and that was given and received, by the human cooperation and friendship.
The statue of the lamassu is a statue that deserves the attention and the praise that it has received, and that deserves the respect and the appreciation of the world. It is a statue that delights and inspires the fans and the critics alike, and that delivers a satisfying and memorable statue experience. It is a statue that has a heart and a soul, and that has a fun and a depth.
