The traveller Nomadic Niko describes himself as a Greek-American originally from Northwest Indiana, just outside Chicago. He visited the Tur Abdin Region in Turkey's Assyrian region recently, documenting his visit in this blog post.
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"Before the Assyrian Genocide, there were over 100 villages populated by Syriacs and 70 active monasteries. By 1999, only 10% of the original 50,000 Assyrians in Midyat and the Tur Abdin remained, and the number of villages has dwindled to around 30. Most of the monasteries are now inactive.
On a trip to the region, we were fortunate to visit three monasteries. I’ve written about each below and hope to return to see more of the others."
On August 7, 2026, Assyrian communities around the world observed the Day of Remembrance for Assyrian Martyrs. On this day, the victims of persecution and mass killings are commemorated, particularly those who perished during the Simele massacre in Iraq in 1933.
The best cookbooks offer more than recipes—they tell the stories of the people behind them, their heritage, and their struggles. That’s exactly what makes The Oldest Kitchen in the World by Matay de Mayee such a treasure.
In a collaboration between Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) and the University of Baghdad, an ancient Babylonian hymn dating back over two millennia has been rediscovered and fully deciphered.
More than 200 letters, photographs and family records documenting Assyrian life in the Lake Urmia region have been digitized and will soon be made widely accessible through the University of California, Berkeley.
Almost two years after his passing on September 17, 2024, the voice of Evin Agassi still echoes deeply within the hearts of many Assyrians. Agassi was more than a musician; he was a cultural bridge, a storyteller of homeland longings, and a unifying symbol for millions scattered across the globe.
A century after its official establishment, Qamishli remains one of the most important reminders of how Assyrians rebuilt their lives after the destruction of their ancestral communities in the Ottoman Empire.
nomadicniko
