Most of us are too young to remember what happened in Iraq and what atrocities happened during the age of conflict in the region. Many of us for sure may not have even heard of Amna Suraka and what it was. It is however, one of the finer museums in Iraq today.
The building wherein the museum is situated is actually a former prison used by the security forces of former president Saddam Hussein. Its name in Kurdish basically means Red Security House, or in short Red Security. The museum stands as a testament and a reminder for the world wherein thousands were interned in this prison and were tortured and maltreated for political crimes, or for just simply being of Kurdish origin.
The museum itself is located in Sulaymaniyeh within the old security compound for the security forces at the time. Colored red, it has extra decorations in the form of retained bullet holes from the 1991 uprising that was part of a wave that made Iraq free. The courtyard still has old tanks, artillery and other weapons of war as a grim reminder.
The Hall of Mirrors is the first room or area that the tourist and visitor will see upon entrance to the museum. One form of installation art that contains 182,000 shards of glass is most fascinating. Each shard represents one loss of life taken from the Kurdish nation during the rule of Iraq under Saddam. The ceiling also has art that pays homage to the villages destroyed by Saddam, represented by twinkling lights each representing one village, numbering 4,500 in all.
The room next to the Hall of Mirrors is a room that shows a replica of a typical Kurdish village and is passed when one enters the main building. Here in the main building visitors will feel a bit uneasy as this is where the torture chambers and prison cells are contained. One part in the area is recreated with gruesome statues and sculptures of Kurdish prisoners. Probably the most heart wrenching is a lifelike diorama of two children being tortured to extract information from them.
As one goes down to the basement, a photo gallery depicting a chemical attack on the town of Halabja is shown. This basement presentation is somewhat reminiscent of the Holocaust museum in Israel that not only has a historical effect, but a humanizing one as well. One will really feel the plight felt by the Kurdish nation under the rule of a former dictator that hated them.
Thus on the trip that involve Kurdistan, whether one is just backpacking through or riding through, it would be recommended to visit this place. Not only will it be educational, but a somewhat humanizing experience as well.
The building wherein the museum is situated is actually a former prison used by the security forces of former president Saddam Hussein. Its name in Kurdish basically means Red Security House, or in short Red Security. The museum stands as a testament and a reminder for the world wherein thousands were interned in this prison and were tortured and maltreated for political crimes, or for just simply being of Kurdish origin.
The museum itself is located in Sulaymaniyeh within the old security compound for the security forces at the time. Colored red, it has extra decorations in the form of retained bullet holes from the 1991 uprising that was part of a wave that made Iraq free. The courtyard still has old tanks, artillery and other weapons of war as a grim reminder.
The Hall of Mirrors is the first room or area that the tourist and visitor will see upon entrance to the museum. One form of installation art that contains 182,000 shards of glass is most fascinating. Each shard represents one loss of life taken from the Kurdish nation during the rule of Iraq under Saddam. The ceiling also has art that pays homage to the villages destroyed by Saddam, represented by twinkling lights each representing one village, numbering 4,500 in all.
The room next to the Hall of Mirrors is a room that shows a replica of a typical Kurdish village and is passed when one enters the main building. Here in the main building visitors will feel a bit uneasy as this is where the torture chambers and prison cells are contained. One part in the area is recreated with gruesome statues and sculptures of Kurdish prisoners. Probably the most heart wrenching is a lifelike diorama of two children being tortured to extract information from them.
As one goes down to the basement, a photo gallery depicting a chemical attack on the town of Halabja is shown. This basement presentation is somewhat reminiscent of the Holocaust museum in Israel that not only has a historical effect, but a humanizing one as well. One will really feel the plight felt by the Kurdish nation under the rule of a former dictator that hated them.
Thus on the trip that involve Kurdistan, whether one is just backpacking through or riding through, it would be recommended to visit this place. Not only will it be educational, but a somewhat humanizing experience as well.
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 right away by reviewing the homepage.
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