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Haunted histories and ambiguous burial grounds in Iraqi Kurdistan

Zagros, N; Fisher, T; Mustafa, M; (2016) Haunted histories and ambiguous burial grounds in Iraqi Kurdistan. Oral History , 44 (1) pp. 37-46. Green open access

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Abstract

As part of a wider research project that documents site-specific oral history associated with caves and cemeteries among the rapidly changing populations of Iraqi Kurdistan, the present study analyses oral histories and traditions concerning one particular graveyard. Reputed to be the burial site of seventh century Muslim conquerors, this graveyard is concomitantly preserved by taboo and subject to transgressive acts. This article discusses the anachronisms that underpin the cemetery’s reputation, the aetiological functions of the local lore and the shifting significance of the memorial space in relation to current events. As the region faces the menace of the self-declared Islamic State, this cemetery has become a locus for reconsidering allegiances and identities with regard to the past and present.

Type: Article
Title: Haunted histories and ambiguous burial grounds in Iraqi Kurdistan
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
Language: English
Additional information: Copyright © Oral History Society. Information on how to access the final published article can be found at http://www.ohs.org.uk/journal/
Keywords: Kurdistan; graves; memorial; taboo and profanation; Islamic conquest; Sahaba; Islamic State
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH > Faculty of Arts and Humanities
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1500845
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