On Thursday, April 24, 2025, the Director General of Syriac Culture and Arts, Kaldo Ramzi Oghanna, along with Bernard Youssef, Director of Heritage and the Syriac Museum, welcomed an international delegation to the museum building in Ankawa. The delegation included visitors from various countries and diverse religious backgrounds.
The guests toured the museum’s halls and viewed its cultural and historical artifacts, which represent the rich heritage of the Syriac people. They emphasized the importance of preserving this civilizational legacy and passing it on to future generations to safeguard it from extinction.
During the visit, a moment of silence was observed, and candles were lit in memory of the victims of the Sayfo Massacres. A short film was also screened, depicting the events of the massacre, which occurred 110 years ago during World War I in the former Ottoman Empire.
The visitors also lit candles for the repose of the soul of Pope Francis, who passed away a few days earlier. This took place in the section of the museum named in his honor at the Syriac Heritage Hall in Ankawa.
In a speech delivered during the visit, Kaldo Ramzi Oghanna stated, “Commemorating the anniversary is not a passive act, but rather a proactive stance against denial, historical erasure, and forgetfulness.” He added, “It is a call for recognition—not out of revenge, but in pursuit of justice and the preservation of dignity.”
It is worth noting that the delegation is visiting the Kurdistan Region to participate in the National Day of Prayer in Kurdistan, which began on Wednesday in Erbil. This event, held for the first time in the region, runs from April 22 to 25 under the theme: Toward Unity in Faith.
