Imagine stepping into an area where you could do all of the following: see what the town center of ancient Babylon was like; touch the stele on which Hammurabi’s Code of Laws were etched; walk into a sacred space and hear the “Our Father” spoken in Aramaic as Christ would have taught it to His apostles; be transported to Telkaif, or other surrounding villages, in the early 20th century to witness a bride preparing for her wedding; journey to America and view the New York skyline as early pioneers would have seen it from Ellis Island; feel the pride as you stand inside a grocery store in the 1920’s as a Chaldean entrepreneur establishes his place in the Detroit business community; learn what Chaldeans are doing today as they expand their professional horizons. How is all of this possible? Welcome to the Chaldean Cultural Center (CCC).
A state-of-the-art Chaldean Cultural Center is presently being developed by a New York design team that specializes in museum work. The designers are collaborating with community members to create a center covering over 5000 years of Chaldean history. The CCC will be located in the eastern end of the Shenandoah Country Club in West Bloomfield. There will be 5 galleries for visitors to weave through. The Galleries are: Chaldeans in the Ancient World, Faith & Church, Village Life, Journey to America, and Chaldeans Today. Each area will house artifacts, media, sculpture, text panels, etc. to tell our story and to support that gallery’s theme.
In the Gallery highlighting ancient Mesopotamia, artifacts will include cylinder seals used as ownership and accounting tools. An authentic replica of the original stele of Hammurabi (Code of Laws) is being purchased from the Louvre for placement in this Gallery. Among other items there will be clay tablets and sculptures of historical figures. The “Faith & Church” Gallery will highlight the Aramaic language used in religious ceremonies such as the Chaldean Mass as well as in baptisms and wedding rituals. Liturgical manuscripts along with vestments and other Church adornments will be displayed. As you move into the “Village Life” Gallery, farming tools, cooking utensils, and clothing can be viewed. Religious practices, village customs, and dress will be used to show how the Chaldeans maintained their identity as a Christian minority within a larger Islamic culture. The “Journey to America” Gallery will feature passports, photos, steamer trunks, tickets from passenger liners and other items used as individuals and families migrated from the villages and cities of Iraq to come to America. The story as to how and why the Chaldeans came to settle in Detroit will be told. Part of this exhibit will feature an early Chaldean-owned grocery store. The last Gallery named “Chaldeans Today” will focus on the strength yet diversity of contemporary Chaldeans. Through the use of graphics (maps), this Gallery will also display where Chaldeans today are located throughout the world. All of the galleries will immerse the visitor in the totality of the Chaldean experience.
The Chaldean Cultural Center will have many media forms including videos, interactives, cast-from-life figures, text panels, and audio displays. A media company based in New York that has done work for the Disney Corporation and produced TV documentaries on the Titanic will be developing the media presentations. This company will be working closely with the Center’s design team and with community members.
The Chaldean Cultural Center will be a testament to our heritage. It will honor the early pioneers who had the strength and adventure to come to a new world. The Center will let our children, grandchildren, and future generations know their legacy and instill pride in being Chaldean. It will also serve as a means to tell our unique history to the larger, non-Chaldean community.
The CCC is currently in the process of designing and building donor wall panels which will be placed on the outer walls of the Center. These panels will enable community members to purchase a rectangular stone (granite/marble) in honor of a family member. The person’s name would be engraved on the stone. This is a wonderful opportunity to support the living legacy that the Cultural Center embodies while still honoring family members. There will be different levels of contributions. Corporate sponsorships will also be available. Your donation to the CCC is an ideal means of becoming an important part of this project and to help bring it to successful completion. For further information, you can call the Center at (248) 681-5050.
