Digital Documentation of Christian Churches That Were Vandalized by ISIS In Nineveh Governorate - A Field Study, Shamoun Al-Safa Church as A Model

Abstract

Buildings and buildings, with their different styles and constructive goals,

are an important pillar in archaeological studies, and they contribute significantly

and very influential in reaching the facts of archaeological studies. The need for

documentation increases in archaeological studies when there are complex and

dangerous circumstances that may affect the identity of these antiquities and the

importance of the antiquity and the sign. To study everything related to it because

it may be directly exposed to ruin due to climatic and geographical conditions or to

deliberate vandalism by man, as happened in many of the models that we are about

to study.

So, it was our duty to explain the nature and importance of this building, its

history, and its place in the Iraqi civilization, and mentioned in detail its elements

and architectural features that were destroyed by ISIS, which destroyed the historical

and artistic identity, and the events that accumulated after that for everything related

to this building, which is considered a national and religious treasure. It can be

compensated, as it is a wonderful product of humanity in general and the people of

Iraq in a specific and striking way, and this is what we will talk about briefly.

And then talking about everything that was destroyed and indicating the

extent of the damage that was exposed to as a result of this attack, whether it was

completely or parts of the building or focusing on a specific thing in the building

such as niches and rare minbars in the mosques or any architectural elements of

buildings that may not be Islamic but were in keeping with Islamic buildings Rather,

it shares many elements in the way of construction and decoration, as we noticed

that in the Ottoman era in the city of Mosul, with attached pictures of the two stages

before and after to show the extent of the impact of these conditions on this building.

The nature of this study necessitated dividing it into an introduction, two chapters,

and an appendix of charts and pictures related to the research:

The first topic included: the study of the site, history and planning of the

church targeted in the study, while the second topic: dealing with the study of the

ruin that befell it, then the conclusion came with the most important findings of the

researcher and the proposals that must be taken for re-maintenance and the precautions

that must be followed in the maintenance operations and then the appendix that

Photographs of the buildings included in the study are included.