URMIA, A CITY FULL OF BELIEFS AND CULTURE

For centuries the city has had a diverse population including MuslimsShiah and Sunny, Christian (Catholic, Prostentant, Nestorians, and Orthodox), Jews, Baha’is and Sufi.

During the 19th century, the region became the center of a short lived Assyrians Renes­saince with many books and newspaper being published in Syriac. The better armed Assyrians managed however to capture the whole city fol­lowing a brief battle. The region descended into chaos again after the assassination of the As­syrian Patriarch Shimum XXI, Benyamin at the hands of Simko Shikak one month later.

Turkish armies and Simko managed the city in June and July 1918. Thousands of Assyrians were massacred as part of the Assyrian Geno­cide, other found refuge under British protec­tion in Iraq.