In collaboration between the UNESCO Chair for Dialogue and the College of Education at the University of Kufa, with the sponsorship of the University of Birmingham and the Rawaaq Foundation for Culture and Development, a scientific seminar titled “The Mandaeans: Their History, Cultural and Religious Heritage, and Connection to the Mesopotamian Civilization” was held on Sunday, November 5, 2023. The seminar was attended by the president of the University of Kufa, several deans of faculties, academic figures, and students.

During the seminar, various research papers were discussed by five professors and academics from the University of Kufa and Baghdad. Dr. Haider Hasan Obeid addressed the linguistic commonalities between the Mandaic language and Semitic languages, while Dr. Baha Amer Aboud spoke about Mandaic Incantation Vessels in his lecture. Dr. Tahseen Fadel Abbas, a consultant for the UNESCO Chair, focused on the nomenclature of the Sabians and the Quranic perspective. The fourth paper, presented by Assistant Professor Mazen Mohammed Hussein, discussed the Mandaic language, and the fifth paper by Assistant Professor Ashwaq Nasrat delved into the religious heritage of the Mandaeans.

At the end of the seminar, the speakers received certificates of appreciation from the College of Education and the UNESCO Chair as a recognition of their contributions.

Translated into English by Saraa Mohammmed