Abraham Path Events

Upcoming Events

Stay tuned for future events!

Previous Events

Wounded Tigris Book Signing: Busboys and Poets, Washington, DC

November 7, 2023
API Fellow Leon McCarron and API Executive Director Anisa Mehdi took the Busboys and Poets stage to share stories from Leon’s incredible, beautiful, and occasionally dangerous journey by boat along the full length of the river. Copies of his book, Wounded Tigris: A River Journey through the Cradle of Civilisation, were available for purchase during and after the event, and McCarron signed books following the program.

Gems of Turquoise Mountain Webinar

September 28, 2023
Where high end craftsmanship and heritage preservation meet. Anisa Mehdi interviewed Shoshana Stewart, president of Turquoise Mountain on the September 28th episode of Meet Us on the Abraham Path. In a turbulent, conflict-swept region, champions of heritage strive to see local artisans thrive. Listen in for the pathos and humor shared by two strong women on mission.

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An Evening on the Abraham Path: Maplewood, New Jersey

September 26, 2023
John and Marcia Zweig - friends of API -hosted author Stephanie Saldaña and Executive Director Anisa Mehdi for an evening on the Abraham Path in Maplewood, New Jersey! Stephanie spoke about the recently released What We Remember Will Be Saved: A Story of Refugees and the Things They Carried, a book that takes readers on an extraordinary journey through the intricate tapestry of our shared history and identity. Click here to buy Stephanie's book or contact your local bookseller.

An Evening on the Abraham Path: Wimbledon, London

September 14, 2023
API supporters Caroline Firstbrook and Ian Smith hosted Executive Director Anisa Mehdi for an evening on the Abraham Path in London! Anisa and Ian shared API’s vision for a future in which Southwest Asia is known worldwide for hospitality and walking trails! Ian encouraged everyone to walk on the trails API nurtured in the region, and Anisa described the cultural heritage preservation projects taking place in Nineveh with funding from the ALIPH Foundation. It was an honor to meet with friends - old and new - and chat about API’s work.

Cultures, Heritage, and Hope Webinar

June 27, 2023
Meet Us on the Abraham Path host Anisa Mehdi, is joined by partners in API's cultural heritage preservation projects. We explore and honor Syriac Catholic and Ezidi heritage in Iraq's Nineveh Plains. We point out that the people we know in Nineveh have survived the scourge of ISIS. Join us for a meeting of cultures, heritage and hope.

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Books from the Path Webinar

March 23, 2023
In 2023's premiere episode of Meet Us on the Abraham Path, Anisa Mehdi listens to three writers with decades of experience living in and reporting on "the Middle East." Authors Matthew Teller, Stephanie Saldaña, and Leon McCarron share the core of their work with anecdotes and photos, describing what drives them to tell the stories of people and places of Southwest Asia. 

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ALIPH Forum

March 6-7, 2023
API Executive Director Anisa Mehdi attended the first ALIPH Forum, March 6-7, in Abu Dhabi, UAE, where she presented Abraham Path’s cultural heritage preservation and celebration projects underway in Nineveh, Iraq. This is one of the few projects that ALIPH has funded dealing with intangible cultural heritage. Dr. Laith Majid Hussein, Director of Iraq’s State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, moderated a discussion (majlis) with a distinguished panel including:

* Mr. Kaifi Mustafa Ali, Director of Antiquities & Heritage of Iraqi Kurdistan

* Dr. Mehiyar Kathem, Senior Advisor, Liwan (Iraqi NGO)

* Ms. Anisa Mehdi, Executive Director, Abraham Path Initiative

* Ms. Alessandra Peruzzetto, Regional Director, Middle East and North Africa, World Monuments Fund

* Dr. Ariane Thomas, Director of Oriential Antiquities Department, Musée du Louvre (Mosul Museum project, Iraq)

* Mr. Baptiste Violi, Coordinator for program development, La Guilde européenne du Raid 

Iraq majlis (panel) featuring API Executive Director, Anisa Mehdi (center)
ALIPH Chairman Thomas Kaplan (left) and API Executive Director Anisa Mehdi (right)

Sr. Makrina Finlay Presentation

November 5-6, 2022
Special guest Dr. Makrina Finlay, a Benedictine nun leading the Ezidi church asylum program at her monastery, regaled attendees with stories from her trips to Shingal Province in Northern Iraq, where she works with API to preserve an important piece of Ezidi cultural heritage.

Sr. Makrina Finlay describes her work with Ezidis in Shingal (Sinjar), Iraq

Matthew Teller Book Launch

November 3, 2022
Special Guest Matthew Teller spoke about reporting on API for global media and introduced his new book, Nine Quarters of Jerusalem.

Matthew Teller presents his most recent book, Nine Quarters of Jerusalem

2021 LiveOnLine Tour of Bethlehem

December 22, 2021
Palestinian guide, Hazem Bannoura, and camerawoman, Noor Hodaly, take viewers on an insider's walk through the storied streets of this small city. Due to the pandemic, we are among the only international visitors in town.

2020 LiveOnLine Tour of Bethlehem

December 19-20, 2020
Palestinian guide, Hazem Bannoura, and camerawoman, Noor Hodaly, take viewers on an insider's walk through the storied streets of the city of Bethlehem. Due to the pandemic, we are among the only international visitors in town.

Exclusive COVID Christmas tour of Bethlehem (December 19)
A visit to the Church of the Nativity and Bethlehem's Christmas Market (December 20)

2020 Bethlehem Tree Lighting

December 5, 2020
API Live Online Christmas Tree Lighting from Bethlehem