| Tel Kepe ܬܠ ܟܦܐ |
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Tel Kepe
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Iraq |
| Governorate | Ninawa |
| Municipality | Tel Kaif |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Basim Ballu |
| Population (2008)[1] | |
| • Total | 35,000 |
| Tel Kepe received a large influx of Christian refugees following the 2003 Iraq War | |
Tel Keppe (also spelled Tel Keipeh) (Syriac: ܬܠ ܟܐܦܐ TalKayf, Tel Kaif تل كيف in Arabic or Tilkaif in Kurdish), is one of the largest formerly Assyrian towns in Iraq. It is located in the Ninawa Governorate, less than 8 miles North East of Mosul (Nineveh) in northern Iraq.
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The name, Tel Keppe, is of Aramaic origin and is made of two syllables; "Tel" which means "hill" and "Keppe" which means "stones" i.e. Hill of Stones. Her name comes from its location over a ruined suburb of Nineveh, capital of old Assyria.
Unfortunately, due to the presence of the only cemetery over the hill that make up Tel Keppe, it has been difficult to excavate the Assyrian ruins of this suburb of Nineveh. However, so far what had been able to be excavated is the water irrigation canals that were built by Assyrian King Sennacherib (705- 681 BC) to irrigate the land around Tel Keppe. Also, an excavation by the Iraqi Directorate of Antiquities succeeded in finding vases dating to 2000 years BC, and other items even much older and of a prehistoric time. In addition to that, several old ruins of churches and monasteries dating to early Christianity were found in Tel Keppe. Currently, Tel Keppe has 5 old churches, and a large new one.
As was the case with most of the Assyrian towns around Nineveh, Tel Keppe had its share of the savage attacks of the Mongols, Persians, and the Kurds. In 1436, Tel Keppe was attacked by the Mongols, and again in 1508, both attacks resulted in the death of hundreds of its children and the destruction of many of its churches and the burning of its crops. So was the fate of the other Assyrian towns of Tel Esqof, Alqosh and its Rabban Hirmizd Monastery.
In 1743, the Persian King Nader Shah attacked Tel Keppe, Karamles, Bakhdida, Bartella and other Assyrian towns savagely. His destructive acts resulted in the death of many thousands and the destruction of their churches and crops. Those who were able to survive did so by fleeing to the mountains.
Starting in the 1980s and especially after the 1991 Gulf War and 2003 Invasion of Iraq, many Assyrians from Tel Keppe fled to many countries, but primarily the United States. They set up their lives there with new churches and business for their families.
The presence of Tel Keppnias in the United States span a hundred years, however, the largest migrations were those during the last 30 years when Tel Keppnias started leaving Iraq en masse due to discrimination from the large majority of Muslims in the country. In their new homeland, true to their fame as honest and hardworking people, the Tel Keppnias were quick to establish and acquire large & successful businesses. Being free from the discrimination in Iraq from other religions, these prominent Assyrians were able to build a prominent economic empire.
Actually, that economic power manifested itself when President Bill Clinton,in 1996, became the first American President to ever meet with an immigrant Middle Eastern community. With that the Assyrians of Iraq led by the Tel Keppnias, became that First Middle Eastern community to be recognized by an American President. Also, during Mr. Clintons presidency, his wife, the First Lady, Hillary Rodham Clinton, was hosted twice by the Tel Keppnias of Detroit.
After the Gulf War, the Tel Keppnias led the Assyrians in the United States in mounting a widely publicised campaign to lift the economic sanctions which was imposed on their original homeland, Iraq. Also, large sums of donations were collected and sent to the needy in Iraq without discriminating whether the recipients were Arabs or Assyrians, Muslims or Christians.
Tel Keppnias also fled to the neighboring countries of Syria and Iran. Many others also left to other countries including Sweden, Australia, France, and European Countries.
There are and have been many famous Tel Keppnias in the United States, within Iraq, and elsewhere.
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