New Iraqui Museum Planned

 

The Iraqi government revealed on Saturday that preparations are underway to build a new national museum to showcase artifacts from multiple eras of Mesopotamian civilization. Speaking at the Inclusivity of Contemporary Tourist Destinations conference in Baghdad, Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities Ahmed al-Badri considered the meaning of the country's archaeological heritage and announced that a location has already been selected for the new museum, and that Iraq has recovered a large number of looted artifacts taken during successive periods of conflict. “What we have in storage exceeds what is currently on display,” he said. Iraq’s antiquities were heavily affected by looting after 2003 and during the takeover by vrious rebel groups of northern areas, where it is believed attempts were made to traffic artefacts to finance their operations. Officials have reported that many stolen artifacts resurfaced on the black market during ISIS’s occupation of Mosul, where the group controlled nearly 2,000 archaeological sites. Since 2008, the United States has returned more than 1,200 pieces, while other repatriations have been happening regularly.