Hundreds of Christians flocked to Saint John the Baptist Assyrian Church of the East in the predominantly-Christian district of Ainkawa in Erbil to celebrate one of the most important commemorations in Christian liturgical calendar.
Christians of various backgrounds in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region are coming together to celebrate the feast from Monday through Saturday with festivities taking place in a different church each day.
"Churches used to celebrate this commemoration separately every year,” Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Bashar Matti Warda told Rudaw. “But it was different this year. People from all churches are here in Erbil's Ainkawa.”
A large cross made its way to Saint John’s Church on Monday, accompanied by clergy and the faithful, who were carrying lit candles and singing.
Just outside the church, people held cultural festivities, where locals sold garments and adornments.
"I was indeed very happy that I took part in this celebration. This festival is very important to us. It was very timely and the things I'm showcasing are T-shirts and flags and so on." said Brita Mouneer, a Christian in Ainkawa.
Honoring the cross on which Christians believe Jesus Christ was crucified, the feast follows the Christian liturgical calendar. The event, also called The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, is celebrated most commonly on September 14 or 27 per the Gregorian or Julian calendars.
"Hopefully it brings peace and no misfortune will happen to us. Hopefully, we will maintain this prosperity,” said Martina Fakhri, a Christian at the feast.
Iraq’s Christian community has been devastated in the past two decades. Following the US-led international coalition invasion in 2003, sectarian warfare prompted followers of Iraq’s multiple Christian denominations to flee; the rise of the Islamic State (ISIS) in 2014 hit already-vulnerable minority groups like the Christians especially hard.
Lacking recent and reliable census data, fewer than 300,000 Christians remain in Iraq, Archbishop Warda told Rudaw in 2022.
Translation by Rekar Aziz