The fire broke out Tuesday night in a wedding hall near the village of Qaraqosh in Hamdaniya, an area about 20 miles southeast of Mosul. Christians have lived in the area for nearly 2,000 years, but fled the Islamic State group in 2014, and only in the last couple of years have begun to return and raise families again in these small Nineveh Plain villages, local officials said.
In Iraqâs Christian Heartland, a Feud Over a Townâs Identity
Pope Francis will arrive in a country whose ancient Christian towns are in danger of disappearing. In one, a Christian communityâs survival may come at the expense of another minority group.
A statue of the Virgin Mary on the grounds of St. George Catholic Church in Bartella, Iraq. The church was burned by the Islamic State when the group took control of the region in 2014.Credit.Ivor Prickett for The New York Times
March 5, 2021
BARTELLA, Iraq â Near the entrance to a small town in northern Iraq, a huge, artificial Christmas tree stands year-round as a symbol of the areaâs centuries-old Christian character.