An Assyrian Christian teenager is attempting to “fight Isis with art” by sculpting detailed replicas of the ancient statues destroyed by the extreme Islamist group.

Nenous Thabit, 17, decided to embark on the creative project after Isis militants destroyed priceless artefacts and sculptures in the ancient city of Nimrud in Iraq, a 3,300-year-old settlement which was once to capital of the Assyrian empire.

Mr Thabit said the destruction of the artefacts affected him greatly, as he considered the Nimrud statues to be the work of his ancestors, according to CNN.

His response was to create 18 new statues closely resembling the originals, including an intricate sculpture of the Assyrian god Lamassu.

He was trained by his father, a professional sculptor, and the two worked together in the family workshop.

“They [Isis] waged a war on art and culture,” Mr Thabit said of his project. “So I decided to fight them with art. Lamassu is my favourite statue, it is the strongest creature in the Assyrian heritage.

“In Iraq, there are people who are killed because they are sculptors, because they are artists. Continuing to sculpt is a message that we will not be intimidated by those devils.

“My dream is to become a prominent artist in Iraq to make my country proud and show the world that we in Iraq love life and cherish our heritage.”

The Destruction of Nimrud Show all 9 1 /9 The Destruction of Nimrud The Destruction of Nimrud An Iraqi soldier stands in front a damaged part of the ancient site of Nimrud, which destroyed by the Islamic State militants. The late 1980s discovery of treasures in Nimrud's royal tombs was one of the 20th century's most significant archaeological finds AP The Destruction of Nimrud A part of carved stone slabs which were destroyed by the Islamic State militants, is seen at the ancient site of Nimrud AP The Destruction of Nimrud An Iraqi army officer sits on damaged carved stone slabs, which were destroyed by Islamic State militants, at the ancient site of Nimrud AP The Destruction of Nimrud A part of carved stone slabs which were destroyed by the Islamic State militants, is seen at the ancient site of Nimrud some 19 miles (30 kilometers) southeast of Mosul, Iraq. Iraqi troops entered Nimrud on Sunday in what was the most significant gain in several days for government force AP The Destruction of Nimrud An Iraqi soldier stand guards at the entrance of the ancient site of Nimrud AP The Destruction of Nimrud An Iraqi soldier looks to the damaged ancient site of Nimrud, which was destroyed by Islamic State militant. The government said the IS militants, who captured the site in June 2014, destroyed it the following year, using heavy military vehicles AP The Destruction of Nimrud Iraqi forces on assess the damage to the ancient site of Nimrud AP The Destruction of Nimrud Iraqi forces announced that Nimrud, which was founded in the 13th century and became the capital of the Assyrian empire, was recaptured as part of the massive operation to retake Mosul, the last IS-held city in the country Getty The Destruction of Nimrud Back in 2003, during a brief re-opening of the Baghdad museum to display the ancient Nimrud treasures. An Iraqi man and woman cry as they visit the Assyrian gallery Reuters

Mr Thabit intends to attend art school in the Kurdish city of Dohuk next year, and continue his progress to becoming a sculptor.

Nimrud is one of the most precious ancient Mesopotamian ruins in existence, and the site was finally secured by the Iraqi army after weeks of fighting earlier this week.