Beth Zmirothe: Inside Antoni Korieh’s mission to preserve western Assyrian music
Founded during the COVID-19 lockdowns in Belgium, Beth Zmirothe, meaning House of Songs, has grown into one of the most impactful projects dedicated to the preservation of Western Assyrian music.
Created by Belgian-Assyrian Antoni Korieh, the project now reaches close to 13,000 followers on Instagram and has accumulated nearly 70,000 likes on TikTok, bringing traditional Assyrian songs to a new generation across the global diaspora.
Korieh was born and raised in Belgium while his family roots trace directly back to the Assyrian homeland, his father originates from Zalin (Qamishli) in Syria's Gozarto Region, while his mother comes from the village of Kfarze in Turkish Assyria's Tur Abdin Region. Despite growing up in the diaspora, he was surrounded from a young age by Assyrian language, music, and oral history within his household, an environment that laid the foundation for his deep connection to cultural preservation. His involvement in church youth activities and Assyrian community circles ultimately led to the creation of Beth Zmirothe.
What began as a simple project during quarantine quickly took on a life of its own. With increased time at home during the pandemic, Korieh started sharing old Assyrian songs online. As engagement grew, he began adding moody background videos and lyrics so listeners could sing along. Soon after, translations were introduced, opening the door for younger Assyrians, many of whom no longer speak the language fluently, to understand the deep meaning behind the songs they were hearing. The platform evolved organically from casual sharing into a structured effort to protect and transmit Assyrian musical heritage. The combination of evocative background images and videos, songs and lyrics have proven to be a highly appreciated concept drawing a lot of praise and positive emotions.
Antoni Korieh in a recent interview with Zalge TV.
Today, Beth Zmirothe, which exists solely on TikTok and Instagram, remains focused on Western Assyrian music. Korieh has long believed that these songs, particularly older pieces, have suffered from limited production, exposure, and recognition compared to their Eastern Assyrian counterparts. His aim is to restore balance by giving Western Assyrian music the attention it deserves. At the same time, Beth Zmirothe operates in close coordination with leading Eastern Assyrian platforms such as Lishani Song and AssyrianLyrics. Rather than competition, these pages collaborate to reinforce the message that Assyrians remain one nation and one people, regardless of dialect.
While several future initiatives are in development, specific projects have not yet been publicly announced. For now, Beth Zmirothe continues to focus on consistent content, sharing musical heritage through short-form videos and translated lyrics that resonate deeply with Assyrians across generations. As the platform continues to grow, further cultural projects are expected to naturally emerge.
More than just a social media page, Beth Zmirothe has become a digital home for Assyrian music, a space where memory, identity, language, and melody come together. For thousands across the diaspora, it now serves as a bridge between past and present, ensuring that Assyrian songs and artists such as Habib Mousa, Ninib Lahdo, Pascal Bachir and Jan Karat continue to live, breathe, and inspire the next generation.
You can follow Beth Zmirothe on Instagram and Tiktok, as well as listen to their curated playlist on Spotify below.
