INCIDENT REPORT FEATURE: HATRA
U. S. DEPT. COOPERATION AGREEMENT NUMBER: S-IZ-100-17-CA021
BY Jamie O’Connell
An assessment of ISIS damage to Hatra
* This report is based on research conducted by the “Safeguarding the Heritage of the Near East Initiative,” funded by the US Department of State. Monthly reports reflect reporting from a variety of sources and may contain unverified material. As such, they should be treated as preliminary and subject to change.
The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hatra (UNESCO)
The earliest excavated remains at the Parthian city of Hatra date to the mid-1st century CE, with most buildings constructed between 117 and 150 [1]. Despite thriving for less than two centuries until its capture and destruction by Sasanian forces in the 240s, the remains of Hatra are expansive. Hatra is first mentioned in historical sources in connection with an unsuccessful attempt by the Roman Emperor Trajan to capture the city, located on the Roman-Parthian border, in 116 [2]. Other sources for Hatra include the nearly 500 Aramaic inscriptions and graffiti discovered throughout the site.
An aerial photograph of the temenos of Hatra (Dr. Suzanne E. Bott, US State Department; October 16, 2009)
Plan of the temenos of Hatra [4].
The main shrine in the central temenos is characterized by a series of large iwans (halls open to the front and roofed with high barrel vaults) to which a square temple dedicated to Shamash was attached.
A pre-damage view of the Great Iwans area, seen from the east (Col. M. Prophit; January 2010)
Collapse of a section of the eastern arcade, containing mosaic panels and other artifacts (TDA-HPI; June 16, 2015)
An ISIS militant destroys the statue of a Parthian king on display in the Mosul Museum.
A pre-damage photograph of a protruding carved head on right side of the entrance to room 13 of Great Iwans (Col. Mary Prophit; January 2010).
An ISIS militant uses a sledgehammer to destroy a carved head on right side of entrance to room 13 of the Great Iwans.
A pre-damage photograph of a carved relief of a face on the left side of the exterior doorway of room 4 of the Great Iwans (Col. M. Prophit; January 2010).
A video still of an ISIS militant using a sledgehammer to destroy the protruding head on the left side of the exterior doorway of room 4 of the Great Iwans.
A video still of an ISIS militant using a sledgehammer to destroy the carved face on, left side of exterior doorway of room 4 of Great Iwan.
A pre-damage photograph of a carved eagle on the south wall of room 12 of the Great Iwans (Col. M. Prophit; January 2010).
A video still showing an ISIS fighter using pickaxe to destroy the carved eagle on the south wall of room 12 of the Great Iwans.
A video still showing an ISIS fighter firing at the carved eagle on the south wall of room 12 of Great Iwans.
A pre-damage photograph of a statue now in room 1 of the Great Iwans
A video still of an ISIS militant using a pickaxe to damage a statue in room 1 of the Great Iwans.
A pre-damage photograph of reliefs of faces carved in the southwest corner of room 12 of the Great Iwans (Col. M. Prophit; January 2010).
A video still showing an ISIS fighter firing at carved reliefs on the south wall of room 12 of the Great Iwans.
A pre-damage photograph of the interior of room 12 of the Great Iwans (Dr. Suzanne E. Bott, US State Department; January 2010)
On April 26, 2017 forces from the Shia militia known as the Popular Mobilization Front (PMF) recaptured Hatra after launching an offensive on ISIS positions at Hatra and in the surrounding area early the previous day.
UNITAR conducted a damage assessment of a section of the site and noted smoke near the Temple of the Triad in a DigitalGlobe satellite image dated April 26, 2016.
A pre-damage photograph of the entrance to the Hellenistic (or Maran) Temple (Col. M. Prophit; January 2010)
A photograph of the colonnade of the Hellenistic Temple (from the southeast) showing damage from gunfire or mortars (Art Daily, April 27, 2017).
A pre-damage photograph of the south entrance of the so-called Temple of Shahru (Col. M. Prophit; January 2010).
A photograph of damage to the south entrance of the Temple of Shahru (Reuters; April 27, 2017).
A video still showing debris and a damaged wall in the interior of room 7 of the Great Iwans (Ruptly; April 29, 2017).
A photograph showing a damaged statue in room 1 of Great Iwan, apparently used for target practice (Mosul Eye/Facebook; April 27, 2017).
A photograph of mortars lined up in front of the Temple of the Triad, reportedly used as an anti-aircraft position (Middle East Eye; May 6, 2017).
A pre-damage photograph of the Temple of the Triad (Wikipedia Commons; May 3, 2006).
A video still showing fire damage to the Temple of the Triad (top right) (Ruptly; April 29, 2017).
A video still of a detonated car in the interior of the western room of the Temple of the Triad (Ruptly; April 29, 2017).
A photograph of a PMF fighter examining a large whole in room 13 of the Great Iwans, reportedly created to allow ISIS militants to move through the structure unseen (Middle East Eye; May 6, 2017).
A pre-damage photograph of the eastern wall of the Hatra temenos (Dr. Suzanne E. Bott, US State Department; October 16, 2009)
A photograph shows the partial collapse of gateway and wall section on the eastern edge of the temenos area (Rudaw; April 27, 2017)
A pre-damage photograph of a statue located on the western side of the Temple of Shahru (Dr. Suzanne E. Bott, US State Department; October 16, 2009).
A photograph shows the destruction of a statue the western side of the Temple of Shahru, as well as shrapnel holes in nearby walls and columns (ASOR CHI Source; December 14, 2017).
