Archaeological site discovered near Ain Issa

A new archaeological site has been discovered about two kilometres from the embattled town of Ain Issa in northern Syria. According to the cultural committee of the Girê Spî Council, the finds so far date to the Byzantine period. Column fragments and foundation structures have been found so far. The daily shelling by the Turkish army and its mercenary troops makes the protection and exploration of such archaeological sites difficult. International support for archaeological finds remains absent out of consideration for Turkey.

Ain Issa: On the border of the great empires

The region around Ain Issa represents a special melting pot. In the first half of the first millennium, the region was disputed between the Eastern Sassanid Empire and the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium) and bears traces of both cultures. While the Eastern Roman Empire was Christian-oriented, the Sassanids adhered to Zoroastrianism. Zoroastrianism is a religion developed around the God Ahura Mazda, which is still practised today in Eastern Kurdistan and Iran as well as in exile. Zoroastrianism combines various religious aspects from Kurdistan and Persia to India.

Due to the location and fertility of the region, the area has been an important settlement site since the Neolithic, where different cultures meet and develop synergies. Therefore, Rojava and Northern Syria are littered with historical sites of inestimable importance in the history of civilisation.

Turbulent history of the region

The coexistence of different cultures and religions is typical for the region of northern Syria and can be traced in archaeological evidence. Already under the rule of Caliph Umar Ibn al-Hattab between 634 and 644, and thus shortly after Muhammad’s death (632), the area was conquered by Arab armies and the Byzantine-Sassanid period in the region ended. However, this did not mean an end to the many identities in the region. Despite special taxes, Christian life was able to flourish there even under Islamic rule. This was more difficult for Zoroastrianism, as its recognition as a “book religion” was problematic. However, through the canonisation of the Avesta, the sacred Zoroastrian scriptures, a certain acceptance could be generated in some areas.

The region bordered Byzantium for a long time and was an area of exchange in the Middle Ages due to the proximity of the Crusader states. Today, intercultural coexistence is realised in grassroots democratic self-government through democratic confederalism. However, the region around Ain Issa is permanently threatened by displacement and destruction, as the democratic project of self-government is a thorn in the side of authoritarian regimes such as the Turkish and Syrian governments.