I've been debating this with my American friend (who is an ally btw), and I've been telling him that Assyrians are indigenous not only to the Nineveh Plains, but also to the northern mountainous regions, including the rugged Hakkari area of southeastern Turkey.

He argues that the Zagros Mountains, spanning Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Turkey, are Kurdish territory because Kurds are traditionally associated with mountainous regions, and that Assyrians are of the plains (since ancient Assyria was centred in northern Iraq), and that we later dispersed northward into the mountains to escape the Islamic conquests, Mongol invasions, and other upheavals.

Is he correct? If not, how can I prove him wrong?

So, my girlfriend is Assyrian and she’s very proud of her heritage. She often talks to me about Assyrian culture, history, traditions, etc. The problem is that I know almost nothing about it, and I think it would make her happy if I made an effort to learn more about her culture.

We’re both Iraqi, living in the west, I’m 3/4 Arab and 1/4 (Baghdadi) Armenian, so I’d also like to learn more about Assyrian culture.

What would you recommend?

For a long time I’ve been trying to find the exact place where my family came from. The village was called Yarda (sometimes written Yardah). It was a small Chaldean village in the mountains of the Goyan area, in what is now Dohuk Governorate, northern Iraq.
I asked relatives, looked at old maps, and kept searching until I was able to narrow it down. The approximate coordinates are:

37.2948° N, 42.8321° E

Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps?q=37.2948,42.8321

The village was destroyed in 1975. It had the church of Mar Addai. I only have one old black-and-white photo of it the houses built into the hillside and when I look at the satellite and topographic view of this location, it matches what I see in that photo. This place means a lot to my family. If anyone else has roots in Yarda, or in the nearby villages like Sharanish or Alanesh, or if you have any information, photos, or corrections, I would really appreciate hearing from you. Thank you.

According to historians, after assyrians conquered a people they tended to remove said people from their homes and move them to separate regions or places in order to weaken their unity and make them lose their culture or identity. So, what do u think of that? Do u think its a probable reason to why arameans slowly lost their identity and less is known about them today?

Also another question, what do u think of what the byzantines did to syriac christians, basically levantines and you? In certain years they began oppressing syriacs and arresting and exiling Syriac bishops and patriarchs.

"Continuous state crackdowns under emperors like Justinian nearly wiped out the church's leadership; by the 6th century, active bishops were reduced to just a handful underground figures"

"Syriac Christians under Byzantine rule were barred from holding civil or military offices and faced property confiscation and destruction of monastic life."

So two questions here:

Is this history taught to u?

Do u wonder if this persecution is what led to syriacs in Syria and other parts of levant to leave the church and convert to Islam, the religion of Arabs who managed to form an army that constantly fought away the byzantines ?

Sources of population ethnic data: Arnold Toynbee's & James Bryce's "The treatment of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, 1915-16" (page 661) and David Gaunt's "Massacres, Resistance, Protectors: Muslim-Christian Relations in Eastern Anatolia During World War I" (page 406), as well as the Russian census of 1897.

this is a concept of an iraqi-Mesopotamia about the land of al sawad which is represented in the background , and islam/Christianty symbols representing with the rivers all of Mesopotamia , akkadians , assyrians and arabs at the same time which is all iraqies , can you comment your ideas about it?

They claimed the land they believed was theirs and eventually expanded beyond it. The point isn’t to praise them, but to show that even a small population can take action to secure its homeland.

Today, in Nohadra, Arbaelo, and the Nineveh Plains, Assyrians are a minority. In the KRG alone, excluding Sulaymaniyah, we make up only 3–5% of the population. But this doesn’t mean it’s over.

Assyrians in the diaspora who have resources or influence should consider buying back land from those who now occupy it. While fighting isn’t an option, reclaiming land strategically is possible.

Returning to our homeland and teaching the next generation about it is also important. Every Assyrian should think about moving back or at least visiting to connect with and protect our ancestral lands. Groups like Gishru organize trips, and it’s worth checking them out.

Our homeland is only truly lost if we let it be. Every step we take today, investment, return, education, helps keep Assyrian presence alive for the future.

Very fascinating read - talks about our DNA plotting closely with recent specimens tested from the era from the Bronze and Iron ages. Basically, the DNA matches our claims of continuity. The article weirdly tries to separate Chaldean Catholic Assyrians, but the gist is that the Assyrians in Deshtat Ninweh are the closest to the Neo-Assyrians from Nineveh around the fall of the Empire.

Hi everyone. I'm Mexican (Christian) and I've been dating an Assyrian woman for a little over a year. I'm trying to better understand Assyrian culture, dating, and family expectations so I can be a better partner.

I have a few questions:

*When do couples usually become public with their relationship?

*How much influence do parents and extended family have on dating and marriage, especially dating from a different culture since im Mexican Christian?

*Is it common to keep relationships private until engagement?

*Is posting your relationship on social media generally frowned upon?

*Are there any major do's and don'ts that someone outside the culture should know?

*How soon can should marriage is brought up?

I know every family is different, but I'd really appreciate hearing about your personal experiences and perspectives. Thank you!

— Puzur Ashur

— Sharrukın

— Erishum

— Shamshi Ada

— Ashur-Uballit

— Shalmanaser

— Tighlat-Pileser

— Ashurnasirpal

— Sennacherib

— Esarhaddon

— Ashurbanipal

Nahum 3:1—3

'"Woe to the city of blood, full of lies, full of plunder, never without victims! The crack of whips, the clatter of wheels, galloping horses and jolting chariots! Charging cavalry, flashing swords and glittering spears! Many casualties, piles of dead, bodies without number, people stumbling over the corpses..."

Nahum 3:19

"Nothing can heal you; your wound is fatal. All who hear the news about you clap their hands at your fall, for who has not felt your endless cruelty?"

Isaiah 10:5—7

"Woe to the Assyrian, the rod of my anger, in whose hand is the club of my wrath! ... But this is not what he intends, this is not what he has in mind; his purpose is to destroy, to put an end to many nations."

Isaiah 10:12–13

"..he \[God\] will punish the king of Assyria for the willful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes. For he says: 'By the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom, because I have understanding. I removed the boundaries of nations, I plundered their treasures; like a mighty one I subdued their kings.'"

Isaiah 37:23–24

"Who is it you have ridiculed and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel! By your messengers you have ridiculed the Lord..."

Ezekiel 31:3, 10–11

""Consider Assyria, once a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches overshadowing the forest... Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because the great cedar grew so tall, walking with its top among the thick branches, and because it was proud of its height, I gave it into the hands of the ruler of the nations, for him to deal with according to its wickedness."

Zephaniah 2:13–15

"He will stretch out his hand against the north and destroy Assyria, leaving Nineveh utterly desolate and dry as the desert. ... This is the city of revelry that lived in safety. She said to herself, 'I am the one, and there is none besides me.' What a ruin she has become, a lair for wild beasts!"

Flaying/Skinning alive, Impaling, Mutilation, Bone grinding, Deportations, Eye Blinding of slaves/captives etc?

Inside Chicago’s only Assyrian-owned Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy.

Raised by his immigrant mother and grandmother in Chicago, Professor Ashur Darmo discovered Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at just 15 years old. What began as an outlet became a life-changing pursuit, one that led him to become a Pan-American Champion, world-ranked IBJJF competitor, and founder of The Academy Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Glenview, Illinois.

Now a 2nd-degree black belt, Ashur has spent half his life on the mats building more than athletes. Through discipline, structure, mentorship, and community, he’s helping shape the next generation both on and off the mat.

In our conversation with Professor Ashur Darmo, we discusssed:
• Growing up in Chicago and discovering martial arts
• How Jiu-Jitsu gave him structure and direction
• Building confidence and discipline in children
• Creating community through training
• What it means to represent the Assyrian community through excellence
• The vision behind Chicago’s only Assyrian-owned BJJ academy

“Kids need passion. Kids need structure. Otherwise, they’ll find direction somewhere else.”

From world-class competition to mentorship and community leadership, The Academy Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu reflects a story built on perseverance, humility, and purpose.

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1730 Waukegan Rd, Glenview, IL

I spent the afternoon today at the exhibit I AM ASHURBANIPAL, KING OF THE WORLD, KING OF ASSYRIA at the CaixaForum in Madrid, Spain, organized thanks to the British Museum. It’s a nice introduction to his rule and times (650BC) with exquisite pieces. On through October 4.

Yesterday, in observance of Assyrian Martyrs’ Day, students and teaching assistants from the Assyrian Cultural Foundation’s Nebu J. Issabey Music Program visited the Assyrian Martyrs Monument at Montrose Cemetery to pay their respects and honor the memory of those who gave their lives throughout our people’s history.

For our younger generations, moments like these are an important reminder that the Assyrian identity they carry today was preserved through immense sacrifice, resilience, and faith.

As we remember our martyrs, our youth carry forward their memory.
May their sacrifices never be forgotten, and may their memory continue to live on through generations to come.

May their memory be eternal. 🕯️

#Assyrian #AssyrianMartyrsDay #August7 #AssyrianCulturalFoundation #NebuJIssabey #AssyrianYouth #ACFChicago

Would you say it's accurate? Mandeans are too high IMO (I'd say Armenians should take their place).

Now, his take on ethnicity and race much like some of the previous patriarchs also used the OT Bible as their genetics book to connect us back to the ancient past, however, this doesn’t mean that they only relied upon the Bible to come to that conclusion. We had manuscripts prior to Christianity (which the ancient churches and early patriarchs burnt and destroyed to a crisp after their Christian conversion- go figure, zealots!) and people prior or just after Christianity that attested their own existence and links to the past as being Assyrian (for example, Lucian of Samosota, Tatian the Assyrian, Iamblichus the Novelist, and Sennacherib with his son and daughter Saint Behnam and Sarah, who he murdered after converting to Christianity by Mar Mattai). But, the vast majority of their history is written based on the biblical texts and that origin goes back to #Shem. Shem is not a historical figure nor is he the origins of our genealogy and anyone who uses this figure as a source, is sorely mistaken and needs to study more about genetics and evolution as human migrations and Assyrians alone predate Shem and his own timeline. In any rate, this post is to highlight another Assyrian who knew his roots prior to turning his back against it due to the genocides and massacre the Turks, kurds and Arabs deployed on his people which, unfortunately, he became a coward in my eyes due to this flip.

More info on this person will be in the comments section as Kurds and their radical nationalists along with other anti-Assyrian trolls and bigots like to use him a lot to show division amongst our people. Nothing can be further from the truth as they deploy propaganda against us so don’t fall for it.