Telkaif, Iraq is part of the Iraq Homecoming Trip Report. Catch up on all the posts from Iraq here.

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No need for 23andMe. I know where I come from. While my ancient ancestors are from Turkey, the Bachuwas come from a small town on the outskirts of Mosul called Telkaif. Though my grandparents grew up in Baghdad, it was I had to go to where it all began. Driving to this town required another stop at the checkpoint. The security officer could not understand why we were trying to go there. After a lengthy explanation about the cultural and familial relevance, he waved us through. But like Samaraa, we had to surrender our passports (see Navigating Iraqi Checkpoints: The Road to Samarra). The Town  While there were signs of normalcy, Telkaif was eerily quiet. Much of the population had left after the invasion of ISIS. Historical Landmarks  The first Catholic church was locked away and inaccessible.

On the way to the second, the sacred heart, we passed by a Catholic cemetery. We tried to go in but it was locked. A random passerby said that the guard in the church had the key. We arrived at the church, and again, it was locked. My guide knocked on the door and informed the guard that there was a Chaldean (Catholic Iraqi) from Michigan who wanted to ask him a few questions (Though I am not a practicing Catholic, Catholicism is an integral part of my culture.). A few moments later, he came down and immediately welcomed us in. I thought it would only be a hurried look around and a prohibition on pictures. Quite the opposite, he was thrilled to take us on a tour. The first stop was the part of the church which was restored after the ISIS attack. Seeing the church where my relatives prayed years ago was a solemn moment. The guard took us to two more places of prayer. Both were badly destroyed by ISIS and have yet to be repaired. He told us that people were killed in these rooms. That was disturbing and surreal. Nuns Quarters Nuns used to live on the premises but left after the invasion and have not returned. The Cemetery  After the tour of the church, the guard gave us the keys to the cemetery. That was unbelievable. I searched for the names of relatives who may have been buried there. I could not locate any of them. It was sad seeing tombstones shattered into pieces by ISIS. Although ISIS was defeated, much of the population of Telkaif left. We went back to the church to take photos with the guard and thank him for welcoming us. He invited us to tour the neighborhood across from the church. According to my aunt, that is where the Bachuwas lived. TPOL’s Tip: Here is how you assemble a Russian assault rifle. Return to Mosul We told the security officer that we were going to Telkaif for a quick look around. When we came back hours later, he inquired why we were gone for so long. Despite our delay in returning, he promptly gave us back our passports and sent us on our way. Dinner in Mosul  To top off one of the best days, we had dinner at what looked like Flint’s own Big John Steak and Onion. The lahem ageen was superb. The bombyah (okra) was good but as usual, it is better made at home. The meat was great, especially the lamb which fell off the bone. Overall For food, Mosul is the place to go (see Mosul, Iraq Day 1: The Best Homemade Food in the World) For my Chaldean readers, I loved Telkaif. You will too.