Tikrit Churches... Without Christians

Al- Maferiya , is a Syriac word from Mafeyono , meaning the spiritual leader which is a lower degree than the papacy.

Tikrit city lived under the height conflict between many forces, including the Persians and the Romans .

The church , which is situated at a height of 30 meters from Tigris River is an important center for the Christian population who were there .

The historical writer and researcher in the history of Tikrit, Mohamed Noman told “Shafaq News " that " Tikrit was the capital of a great destination for people before they embrace Islam and turn out to be what it is now ," adding " It was significant and the focus of East al-Mafarnya which is the ruling of its regions sprawling during the year , 628 " .

But today , who looks to the Church, will make sure that a radical change took place in it not only the entire Christian population embraced the Islamic religion at the time or the departure of its people and lack of Christians today in Tikrit , but being behind the walls of Saddam Hussein's palaces .

The church south of Tikrit is located today behind Saddam's luxury palaces, as some of them had been reconstructed , but has become locked into the current state officials who took the palaces and buildings as houses for them , which makes it imperative for tourists not to see it.

Certainly, the number of tourists because of the security has reduced but it doesn’t exist for being close to the guards of palaces and very important departments .

Gazawn Jabbar , a resident of Tikrit, interested in its monuments told “Shafaq News " that "choosing the palaces near the relics is definitely wrong because it deprived people from the blessing of visiting it but from another point, the presence of churches and monuments there may be positive in the absence of taking no care to it “.

While Mannar Abdul Muttalib , Salahuddin Council member said the security situation prevents taking care of antiquities in general , as well as the green church.

Abdul Muttalib added to “Shafaq News " that " the security situation is the main reason for the failure to take care of it or allow tourists to visit places in Salahuddin."

She said that " when a tourist hear any gunshots , he escape towards a safer place so how can foreign tourists visit the most tenses regions in Iraq," adding that "We can’t work in anything before restoring security “.