Under the patronage of President Masoud Barzani and His Holiness Patriarch Mar Awa III, head of the Assyrian Church of the East, the Kurdistan Region will lay the foundation stone for a memorial commemorating the Simmele Massacre.

The ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, January 4, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. local time in the Directorate of Culture in Simmele town, Duhok province.

The memorial, to be constructed on a 6,250-square-meter site, aims to honor the memory of Assyrian victims of the massacre and to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of the Assyrian community in the Kurdistan Region.

Related: The 1933 Massacre of Assyrians in Simmele, Iraq

Officials have emphasized that the project represents both a gesture of remembrance and a commitment to documenting and educating future generations about the atrocities faced by the Assyrian people.

The Simmele Massacre, part of a series of violent attacks against Assyrian communities in the early 20th century, remains a defining tragedy in the history of Iraq's Christian minorities. Hundreds of civilians were killed during the attack, which left lasting scars on the local population and disrupted centuries-old Assyrian settlements in the Nineveh and Duhok provinces.

President Barzani's involvement underscores the Kurdistan Region's commitment to acknowledging the sufferings of ethnic and religious minorities, while Patriarch Mar Awa III's participation highlights the enduring role of the Assyrian Church in preserving its cultural heritage.

The project also reflects broader efforts in the Kurdistan Region to promote multiculturalism and protect historical memory, complementing ongoing initiatives to document minority histories, establish cultural centers, and educate the public about the region's diverse heritage.

By establishing the Simmele Massacre Memorial, the Kurdistan Region is taking a tangible step toward honoring victims, strengthening community ties, and ensuring that the tragedies of the past are neither forgotten nor repeated.