Museum of Lost Objects

Winged Bull of Nineveh Jun 23, 2020

The Museum of Lost Objects traces the histories of 10 antiquities or cultural sites that have been destroyed or looted in Iraq and Syria.

With hundreds of thousands of lives lost, millions of people displaced and some of the world’s most significant heritage sites destroyed, the wars in Iraq and Syria have had an enormous cost. While the historical artefacts that have been bombed, defaced and plundered can never be restored, they are very well remembered. Through local histories, legends and personal stories, the Museum of Lost Objects recreates these lost treasures and explores their significance across generations and cultures, from creation to destruction.

The winged bull was a huge 2,700-year-old sculpture that stood guard at the gates of one of the most fabled cities in antiquity – Nineveh, modern-day Mosul, northern Iraq. Militants from the Islamic State group defaced the winged bull in February 2015, almost a year after seizing control of the city. We tell the story of the bull and the role of Nineveh in the origins of Iraqi archaeology.

This episode was first broadcast on 29 February, 2016

Presenter: Kanishk Tharoor Producer: Maryam Maruf

Picture: Winged Bull of Nineveh, drawn by Eugène Flandin Credit: The New York Public Library

Contributors: Mazin Safar, son of Iraqi archaeologist Fuad Safar; Mark Altaweel, Institute of Archaeology, UCL; and Iraqi archaeologist Lamia al-Gailani, SOAS

With thanks to Nigel Tallis and Sarah Collins of the British Museum, and Augusta McMahon of the University of Cambridge.

The Fire That Scorched Brazil’s History Sep 01, 2019

It’s been a year since Brazil’s National Museum burned down in a fire. Not only was its collection one of the most extraordinary in the world, but Brazil’s entire history ran through the museum. On the second floor you could meet the prehistoric skeleton that was the ‘mother’ of all Brazilians; on the third, listen to Amazonian folklore about exploding jaguars; and downstairs, slide into the slippers of a slave king. Now, the only intact artefact on site is a huge iron rock from outer space – the Bendego meteorite. The National Museum and its precious archive of Brazil’s past may be in ruins, but amongst the ashes there’s a battle to revive it. Presenter: Kanishk Tharoor Producer: Maryam Maruf

With thanks to Roberta Fortuna

Contributors: Cahe Rodrigues, carnival director; Dom João, photographer and descendent of Brazil’s last emperor; Laurentino Gomes, journalist and author; Monica Lima, historian; Mariza Carvalho Soares, historian and museum curator; Aparecida Vilaça, anthropologist and author of Paletó and Me; Bernabau Tikuna, linguist; Tonico Benetiz, anthropologist; Murilo Bastos, bio-archaeologist; Luciana Carvalho, paleontologist and deputy director of rescue Museu Nacional; Sergio Azevedo, paleontologist and director of Museu Nacional’s 3D printing lab

Voice over performances by: Fernando Duarte, Marco Silva, Silvia Salek; Thomas Pappon Picture: Brazil’s National Museum – or Museu Nacional – on fire September, 2018 Credit: Getty Images

This edition of Museum of Lost Objects is broadcast on BBC World Service.

Tagore’s Nobel Prize Theft Jul 26, 2017

Rabindranath Tagore, the celebrated Bengali writer, is one of the greatest figures in modern South Asian history. In 1913, Tagore became the first non-westerner to win a Nobel Prize, but just over a decade ago, his Nobel medal was stolen – and still hasn’t been found. This episode looks at Tagore’s legacy, how his songs and poems are ubiquitous in Bengali life, how he inspired revolutionaries and reformers in South Asia, and how his suspicion of all nationalisms - even anti-colonial nationalism - makes his work feel thoroughly contemporary and relevant today.

Presented by Kanishk Tharoor Produced by Maryam Maruf

Contributors: Arunava Sinha; Rahul Tandon; and Saroj Mukherji

With thanks to Minu Tharoor; CS Mukherji; and Sudeshna Guha

Image: An unseen vendor picks up a cut out photo of Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore Credit: Getty Images

Jinnah’s Last Home Jul 25, 2017

Ziarat Residency was a former sanatorium in the hills of Balochistan, and it’s where Muhammad Ali Jinnah - the founder of Pakistan – spent the last three months of his life. The building acquired great significance after his death – it was even on the 100 rupee note, and was eventually turned into a museum. But just four years ago, Ziarat residency was fire-bombed and burnt to the ground by Balochi separatists.

Presented by Kanishk Tharoor Produced by Maryam Maruf

Contributors: Nayyar Ali Dada; Saher Baloch; Ayesha Jalal, Tufts University; Pasha Haroon;

With thanks to Fifi Haroon

Image: Rebuilt Ziarat Residency after 2013 Credit: Nayyar Ali Dada Associates

Delhi’s Stolen Seat of Power Jul 24, 2017

In March 1739, the Persian warlord Nader Shah laid siege to Delhi. He destroyed and plundered the city. Among his ‘Delhi loot’ was the famous Jeweled or Peacock Throne of the Mughal Empire. It took seven years to make, and seven elephants to cart it away forever - and it's been lost ever since. This episode stretches back to stories of empire well before British rule, and looks at how narratives of conquest and loss still have a powerful hold over South Asians.

Presented by Kanishk Tharoor Produced by Maryam Maruf

Contributors: Yuthika Sharma, University of Edinburgh; and Manan Ahmed, Columbia University

With thanks to Sussan Babaie, Courtauld Institute of Art

Image: Persian ruler Nadir Shah on the Peacock Throne after his victory over the Mughals Credit: Alamy

The Keeper of Buddha's Bones Jul 22, 2017

The mystery of the 2,000 year old little bronze box, the Kanishka casket, that was said to hold the remains of the Buddha himself.

Presented by Kanishk Tharoor Produced by Maryam Maruf

Contributor: Vazira Fazila-Yacoubali Zamindar, Brown University

Picture: Replica of the Kanishka casket at the British Museum Credit: BBC

The Cricketer Who Lost His Team Jul 21, 2017

Bonus pod! Amir Elahi, the great uncle of Columbia University historian Manan Ahmed, became rivals with his former Indian teammates when he left for Pakistan.

Image: Amir Elahi and Dattaram Hindlekar, members of the All-India cricket team, 1936 Credit: Getty Images

Kashmir’s Palladium cinema Jul 18, 2017

Kanishk Tharoor explores artefacts and landmarks caught up in India and Pakistan's independence in 1947. In this episode, the life and times of the Palladium cinema.

The Palladium was one of Srinagar’s oldest and most popular movie theatres. It was on Lal Chowk, a square in the heart of the city. From the 1940s, the building was the backdrop to many of Kashmir's major political events. Today it stands in ruins, an unexpected casualty of the ongoing conflict, and now, there are no public cinemas left in Srinagar.

Presented by Kanishk Tharoor Produced by Maryam Maruf

Contributors: Krishna Mishri; Imtiyaz; and Neerja Mattoo

With thanks to Andrew Whitehead

Museum of Lost Objects series two is broadcast on BBC World Service.

Image: Cadets during a National Conference rally at Lal Chowk, Srinagar 1944 Credit: India Picture

The Necklace That Divided Two Nations Jul 15, 2017

Seventy years ago, India and Pakistan became independent nations - but at a cost. People and lands were partitioned, and a once shared heritage was broken apart. Kanishk Tharoor explores the tussle for ancient history and the prized artefacts of the Indus Valley civilization. There was a bureaucratic saga over the fates of the priest-king, the dancing girl, and the jade necklace so precious to both India and Pakistan that neither country could let the other have it whole.

Presented by Kanishk Tharoor Produced by Maryam Maruf

Contributors: Maruf Khwaja; Saroj Mukherji; Vazira Fazila-Yacoubali Zamindar, Brown University; Sudeshna Guha, Shiv Nadar University

With thanks to Anwesha Sengupta, Institute of Development Studies Kolkata

Museum of Lost Objects series two is broadcast on BBC World Service.

Image: The Mohenjo Daro jade necklace that was cut in two. India's share on the left, Pakistan's share on the right. Credit: Archaeological Survey of India and Getty Images

Nimrud and Hatra Jun 10, 2017

Nimrud is a 3,000 year old archaeological site blown up by the so-called Islamic State. The Iraqi archaeologist Muzahim Hossein spent 30 years excavating there, and he goes back for the first time to see what remains. And the story of one Iraqi family who grew up with the temples and talismans of the beautiful, fabled city of Hatra.

Including contributions from Layla Salih, Nineveh Heritage Buildings; Alessandra Peruzzetto, World Monuments Fund; and Watha Saleh. Presented by Kanishk Tharoor Produced by Maryam Maruf With thanks to Eleanor Robson, Lamia al-Gailani, Ali Juboori, Mehdi Musawi, Faisal Irshaid, Lucinda Dirven and Roberta Venca.

Museum of Lost Objects series two is broadcast on BBC World Service.

Image: Gorgon head in Hatra Credit: Getty Images

Return to Aleppo Jun 10, 2017

The story of one neighbourhood in Aleppo, and how it changed the lives of two Syrians caught up in the war.

Zahed Tajeddin is a sculptor and archaeologist whose family have lived in Aleppo for generations. He owned a beautiful medieval courtyard house in a neighbourhood called Judaydah, part of the city's historic centre. But Zahed was forced to abandon his house in 2012, when Judaydah became a battleground between government forces and rebel fighters. He makes the emotional and dangerous journey to see whether his home survived the conflict.

Abu Ahmed is a pharmacist who set up Judaydah's only medical centre. He stayed in Aleppo throughout the conflict, giving first aid, medicines and comfort to the local residents. He was one of the last people to flee rebel-held Aleppo after the government advance in December 2016.

Presented by Kanishk Tharoor Produced by Maryam Maruf

With thanks to Elyse Semerdjian, Mustafa Abu Sneineh, Mehdi Musawi, Dr Hatem and Emily Webb.

Image: A courtyard house in Judaydah. Credit: Getty Images.

Quick update on the next season May 24, 2017

Coming back to your airwaves soon!

Looted Sumerian Seal, Baghdad Mar 07, 2016

The Museum of Lost Objects traces the histories of 10 antiquities or cultural sites that have been destroyed or looted in Iraq and Syria.

This is the oldest and smallest object in the series: a tiny Sumerian cylinder seal depicting a harvest festival. It was carved in 2,600 BC and was part of the collection of ancient cylinder seals which disappeared when the Iraq Museum in Baghdad was looted during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. We tell the story of this seal and the pillaging of the country's most important museum.

This episode was first broadcast on 11 March, 2016.

Presenter: Kanishk Tharoor Producer: Maryam Maruf

Contributors: Lamia al-Gailani, SOAS; Mazin Safar, son of Iraqi archaeologist Fuad Safar; John Curtis, Iran Heritage Foundation

With thanks to Augusta McMahon of Cambridge University, Mark Altaweel of the Institute of Archaeology UCL, and Sarah Collins of the British Museum

Picture: Sumerian harvest seal Credit: Lamia al-Gailani

Armenian Martyr’s Memorial, Der Zor Mar 07, 2016

The Museum of Lost Objects traces the histories of 10 antiquities or cultural sites that have been destroyed or looted in Iraq and Syria.

The Armenian martyr's memorial in Der Zor, Syria was a tribute to the Armenians who perished in the mass killings of 1915. It was consecrated in 1991 and then completely destroyed in 2014 by Islamic militants. A British-Armenian writer recalls her visits to Der Zor, and traces the harrowing journey of her ancestors through the Syrian desert.

This episode was first broadcast on 10 March, 2016.

Presenter: Kanishk Tharoor Producer: Maryam Maruf

Contributors: Nouritza Matossian, writer; Heghnar Watenpaugh, University of California Davis

With thanks to Elyse Semerdjian of Whitman College

Picture: Armenian Martyr's Memorial, Der Zor

The Genie of Nimrud Mar 07, 2016

The Museum of Lost Objects traces the histories of 10 antiquities or cultural sites that have been destroyed or looted in Iraq and Syria.

The ancient Assyrians were fond of protective spirits. They had sculptures of all manner of mythological creatures lining the walls of their palaces. One such sculpture was a stone relief of a genie. This was a powerful male figure - a bountiful beard and muscular thighs but with huge wings sprouting from his back. Three thousand years ago, it adorned the walls of Nimrud, one of the great strongholds of Mesopotamia, near Mosul in modern day Iraq. During the 1990s, this genie disappeared - believed to have been taken during the chaos of the first Gulf war - and ended up in London around 2002 - just before the mire of the second Gulf war. It’s been kept by Scotland Yard for these last 14 years - locked in legal limbo, and unlikely to ever reemerge or return to Iraq. We explore the cost of looting to a country’s cultural heritage, and tell the story of another valuable Mesopotamian antiquity that was looted, eventually uncovered, but managed to stay in Iraq. This is a tablet, and holds a new chapter from the oldest tale ever told - the Gilgamesh epic.

This episode was first broadcast on 9 March, 2016.

Presenter: Kanishk Tharoor Producer: Maryam Maruf

Picture: Assyrian winged-genie from Nimrud Credit: Brooklyn Museum

Contributors: Mark Altaweel, Institute of Archaeology UCL; Augusta McMahon, University of Cambridge; Mina al-Lami, BBC Monitoring; the readings are by Martin Worthington, George Watkins, and Susan Jameson

With thanks to Vernon Rapley, V&A; Sarah Collins, British Museum; Andrew George, SOAS; and John Russell Massachusetts College of Art and Design

Al-Ma’arri the Poet Mar 07, 2016

The Museum of Lost Objects traces the histories of 10 antiquities or cultural sites that have been destroyed or looted in Iraq and Syria.

In 2013, Islamic militants decapitated the statue of an 11th Century Arabic poet that stood in his hometown of Maarat al-Nu’man, a city that’s seen heavy fighting during the Syrian conflict. The poet al-Ma’arri was one of the most revered in Syria, and poetry enthusiasts tell his story – he was blind, vegetarian, atheist, and some even claim that his work inspired Dante’s Divine Comedy.

This episode was first broadcast on 8 March, 2016.

Presenter: Kanishk Tharoor Producer: Maryam Maruf

Contributors: Nasser Rabbat, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Mahmoud al-Sheikh, BBC Arabic; the reading is by Susan Jameson

Picture: Statue of al-Ma'arri with the sculptor Fathi Mohammed in the 1940s, and the statue after its decapitation in 2013

Mar Elian Monastery Mar 07, 2016

The Museum of Lost Objects traces the histories of 10 antiquities or cultural sites that have been destroyed or looted in Iraq and Syria.

This monastery in the remote Syrian town of Qaryatayn held the 1,000 year old tomb of a saint, Mar Elian, who was revered by Christians and Muslims alike. After the Islamic State group took Palmyra, they came to the monastery of Mar Elian, kidnapped its priest and later bulldozed the site. A British archaeologist who lived and worked there for many years tells the legends of Mar Elian and her close relationship with the community.

This episode was first broadcast on 7 March, 2016.

Presenter: Kanishk Tharoor Producer: Maryam Maruf

Picture: Doorway to Mar Elian Credit: Emma Loosley

Contributors: Emma Loosley, University of Exeter; Father Jacques Murad, formerly priest at Mar Elian

With thanks to Shadi Atalla

The Lion of al-Lat Feb 29, 2016

The Museum of Lost Objects traces the histories of 10 antiquities or cultural sites that have been destroyed or looted in Iraq and Syria.

The Lion of al-Lat was a protective spirit, the consort of a Mesopotamian goddess. This 2,000 year old statue was one of the first things the so-called Islamic State destroyed when they took Palmyra in 2015. The Polish archaeologist Michal Gawlikowski recalls discovering the lion during an excavation in the 1970s, and we explore the wider symbolism of lions and power and how this was appropriated by modern rulers including Bashar al-Assad’s own ancestors.

This episode was first broadcast on 4 March, 2016.

Presenter: Kanishk Tharoor Producer: Maryam Maruf

Picture: Lion of al-Lat Credit: Michal Gawlikowski

Contributors: Michal Gawlikowski, Warsaw University; Zahed Tajeddin, artist and archaeologist; Augusta McMahon, University of Cambridge; Lamia al-Gailani, SOAS

With thanks to Sarah Collins of the British Museum

Minaret of the Umayyad Mosque, Aleppo Feb 29, 2016

The Museum of Lost Objects traces the histories of 10 antiquities or cultural sites that have been destroyed or looted in Iraq and Syria.

Since 2012, Aleppo - Syria's largest city - has been a key battleground in the conflict, and hundreds of its residents killed or displaced. Aleppo, thought to be the oldest city in the world, is now left in ruins. One of the great monuments of the city was the minaret of the Umayyad Mosque (also known as the Great Mosque) which was toppled in April 2013. It's still unclear who was responsible - Syrian government forces and rebels blame each other. We tell the story of the minaret, a world heritage site that was connected to that other great Aleppo landmark, the souk.

This episode was first broadcast on 3 March, 2016

Presenter: Kanishk Tharoor Producer: Maryam Maruf

Picture: Minaret of the Umayyad Mosque Credit: Getty

Contributors: Nasser Rabbat, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Zahed Tajeddin, artist and archaeologist; Heghnar Watenpaugh, University of California Davis; Jalal Halabi, photographer; Will Wintercross, Daily Telegraph

With thanks to Haider Adnan of BBC Arabic, Elyse Semerdjian of Whitman College, and Aya Mhanna.

Tell Qarqur, Hama Province Feb 29, 2016

The Museum of Lost Objects traces the histories of 10 antiquities or cultural sites that have been destroyed or looted in Iraq and Syria.

As archaeological sites go, Tell Qarqur isn’t the most glamorous, but this mound in Syria is unique. It’s in the Orontes Valley in the west of the country and it contains 10,000 years of continuous human occupation. It is a goldmine of information for studying the movements of long history in a single place. In 2011, Tell Qarqur was occupied by the Assad military and since then, the whole area - the province of Hama and neighbouring regions - has been on the frontline of the war and many local residents forced to flee. Jesse Casana, the archaeologist who ran the excavation at Tell Qarqur, talks about monitoring the destruction of his site from space using satellite archaeology, and the Syrian villagers who worked with him now living as refugees.

This episode was first broadcast on 2 March, 2016

Presenter: Kanishk Tharoor Producer: Maryam Maruf

Picture: Tell Qarqur Credit: Jesse Casana

Palmyra: Temple of Bel Feb 29, 2016

The Museum of Lost Objects traces the histories of 10 antiquities or cultural sites that have been destroyed or looted in Iraq and Syria.

In May 2015, the Syrian city of Palmyra was captured by the forces of the so-called Islamic State. Few of the group’s excesses have won as much attention as their ravaging of the city. They waged a campaign of violence against the local population, and they systematically destroyed many of the city’s great monuments, including the 2,000-year-old Temple of Bel. We trace the story of the Temple, pay homage to Palmyra’s ancient warrior Queen Zenobia – and hear from a modern-day Zenobia, daughter of Khaled al-Asaad, director of antiquities at Palmyra, who was beheaded by IS. She tells us when IS militants took over her home and her last words with her father. This programme was first broadcast on 1 March, 2016.

Presenter: Kanishk Tharoor Producer: Maryam Maruf

Contributors: Nasser Rabbat, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Salam al-Kuntar, University of Pennsylvania Museum; Zenobia al-Asaad, daughter of Khaled al-Asaad, her words read in English by Amira Ghazalla

Picture: Temple of Bel, Palmyra Credit: Getty

With thanks to Faisal Irshaid of BBC Arabic, Alma Hassoun of BBC Monitoring, Rubina Raja of Aarhus University, Christopher Jones of Columbia University, and Christa Salamandra of City University of New York.

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