BAGHDAD – In Iraq, two decades of back-to-back conflicts have left ancient Christian communities that were once a vibrant and integral part of the landscape scattered and in ruins.
Iraq was estimated to have nearly 1.5 million Christians before the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein.
They date back to the first centuries of the religion and include Chaldean, Syriac, Assyrian and Armenian churches. Now, church officials estimate only a few hundred thousand, or even less, remain within Iraq's borders.
The rest are scattered across the globe, resettling in far-flung places like Australia, Canada and Sweden, as well as neighboring countries.