For those of you not familiar with the past Iraqi War or with Persian geography, you may not have heard of a couple of places that have played a part in its history. You may not have heard of Amna Suraka. This place is located in Iraq and is considered as one of the more impressive museums in Iraq. It has however, a fairly dark and horrible past.
Being a former prison, the museum houses not only memories but painful incidences in Iraqi history as well. It has been the location wherein thousands of Kurdish prisoners were punished and tortured just because they were Kurdish or for some form of political crime or another. Its name basically means Red Security House when translated from Kurdish to English.
The former prison itself is located within a security compound in the city of Sulaymaniyeh. It still is colored red as its namesake implies, and also people have retained the bullet holes that are reminiscent of the 1991 uprising. The courtyard is still full of weapons of war like tanks, artillery pieces, mortars and what not. Retained by the people, it stands as a reminder of what used to be and what should not be again.
Upon entrance into the building, the visitor will be greeted by the Hall of Mirrors, which contains 182,000 shards of glass, each glass shard representing one Kurdish life taken during the Anfal campaign under Saddam. The ceiling also contains 4,500 twinkling lights, each one representing a village that was destroyed under the rule of Saddam.
Going further into the building one will find a replica of a traditional Kurdish village in the next room. Further on, the visitor will see cells used for torture and confinement, complete with gruesome statues to reenact what had happened inside. One such reenactment is a diorama involving the torture of two children by prison guards.
Going down further to the basement, one will be immersed in a photo gallery depicting the chemical attack on Halabja. The way it is presented here is somewhat akin to what one would see in the Holocaust museum in Tel Aviv. It will definitely make one more humanistic and sympathetic to the Kurdish plight.
Definitely this is one of those places wherein one can visit while trudging onwards or backpacking through Kurdistan. It will not only be educational but instrumental as well in keeping one in touch with humanity.
Being a former prison, the museum houses not only memories but painful incidences in Iraqi history as well. It has been the location wherein thousands of Kurdish prisoners were punished and tortured just because they were Kurdish or for some form of political crime or another. Its name basically means Red Security House when translated from Kurdish to English.
The former prison itself is located within a security compound in the city of Sulaymaniyeh. It still is colored red as its namesake implies, and also people have retained the bullet holes that are reminiscent of the 1991 uprising. The courtyard is still full of weapons of war like tanks, artillery pieces, mortars and what not. Retained by the people, it stands as a reminder of what used to be and what should not be again.
Upon entrance into the building, the visitor will be greeted by the Hall of Mirrors, which contains 182,000 shards of glass, each glass shard representing one Kurdish life taken during the Anfal campaign under Saddam. The ceiling also contains 4,500 twinkling lights, each one representing a village that was destroyed under the rule of Saddam.
Going further into the building one will find a replica of a traditional Kurdish village in the next room. Further on, the visitor will see cells used for torture and confinement, complete with gruesome statues to reenact what had happened inside. One such reenactment is a diorama involving the torture of two children by prison guards.
Going down further to the basement, one will be immersed in a photo gallery depicting the chemical attack on Halabja. The way it is presented here is somewhat akin to what one would see in the Holocaust museum in Tel Aviv. It will definitely make one more humanistic and sympathetic to the Kurdish plight.
Definitely this is one of those places wherein one can visit while trudging onwards or backpacking through Kurdistan. It will not only be educational but instrumental as well in keeping one in touch with humanity.
About the Author:
Read my intriguing story about the experience at Amna Suraka Iraq where I faced many challenges along the way. I have written about my backpacking Iraq to Saddam Hussein's house of horrors. Check out my posts today by visiting the website.
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