Dr. Michael N. Mar-Elia, PhD

Iraqi Jewish cuisine is a rich and vibrant culinary tradition that reflects centuries of history, blending flavors from the Middle East with unique Jewish customs. Once thriving in cities like Baghdad, Basra, and Mosul, the Iraqi Jewish community developed a distinctive food culture that combines local ingredients with religious dietary laws and celebratory customs.…

Baklava is one of the most iconic desserts of the Middle East, known for its delicate layers of pastry, rich nuts, and sweet syrup. While it is widely associated today with several regional cuisines, there is a strong historical argument that baklava traces its origins back to the ancient Assyrians of Mesopotamia. Ancient Mesopotamian…

Ancient Origins The Assyrian Mastiff traces its heritage back thousands of years to the Assyrian Empire, one of the great empires of the ancient Near East. Massive dogs resembling mastiff-types appear in Assyrian palace reliefs, particularly from the reign of Ashurbanipal, where they are shown hunting lions and guarding royal spaces. Archaeological evidence suggests…

Amba: An Iraqi Jewish Culinary Invention Amba is widely recognized today as a defining element of Middle Eastern cuisine—but its true identity is deeply rooted in the traditions of Iraq, specifically within the Iraqi Jewish community. A Creation Shaped in Iraq While mango pickling as a general concept existed elsewhere, amba as we know…

Every year on April 1st, Assyrians around the world celebrate Akitu, the Assyrian New Year—a tradition that stretches back thousands of years to the heart of ancient Mesopotamia. More than just a date on the calendar, Akitu represents continuity, identity, and one of the oldest surviving cultural celebrations in human history. Akitu began in…

Few dishes carry as much cultural pride and historical depth as dolma. Claimed by many cuisines across the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean, dolma is often presented as a shared regional food. But when you look closely at history, language, and geography, a compelling case emerges: dolma is deeply rooted in the heritage of…

For centuries, a persistent myth has circulated: that the Assyrians—one of the most influential civilizations of the ancient world—“went extinct” after the fall of their empire. This claim is not only historically inaccurate, it ignores the continuous existence of a people whose identity, language, and culture have survived against extraordinary odds. The Fall of…

The word abracadabra, now commonly associated with stage magic and playful illusion, has far deeper and more ancient roots. When examined through the lens of Mesopotamian history, it can be understood as a product of the Assyrian world—a civilization in which language, ritual, and belief were tightly interwoven. Rather than a later invention or…

The idea of an independent Kurdistan has been debated for decades, especially across regions of Iraq, Turkey, Syria, and Iran, where large Kurdish populations live. Whether Kurdistan would be a “threat” to the Middle East depends heavily on perspective. Below is a balanced analysis of why some analysts and governments argue it could pose…