Iraq says 185 artifacts seized in the UK
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s culture minister Ahmed Fakak al-Badrani on Monday announced the seizure of 185 Iraqi-origin artifacts in the United Kingdom, part of ongoing efforts to recover cultural property looted since 2003.
“The Cultural Attaché in London informed us about the seizure of 185 artifacts, which archaeological experts confirmed [the seized items] to be of Iraqi origin,” Badrani said during a conference held in Baghdad, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA)
“The great civilization built by our ancestors still stands tall before us today. We take pride in our heritage and the achievements of our forefathers; therefore, we will not allow thieves to steal or encroach upon our antiquities,” he said.
The announcement comes as Iraq continues a massive recovery campaign of artifacts stolen and smuggled abroad over the past two decades.
In an earlier statement in October, the ministry said that Iraq had retrieved more than 40,000 ancient artifacts from around the world in the last four years. According to ministry spokesperson Ahmad al-Alyawi, some of the items are “very rare and priceless,” including the Tableau of Gilgamesh dating back to 3500 BC and the Sumerian Ram dating back to 4500 BC.
In December 2021, the United States returned a prized 3,500-year-old clay tablet inscribed with part of the Epic of Gilgamesh to Iraq. The artifact had been stolen from an Iraqi museum and trafficked illegally to the US.
Badrani on Monday thanked “everyone contributing to the protection of Iraq’s antiquities and heritage, [and] those working to prevent their misuse.”
Deputy Minister of Culture for Arts Affairs Qassem Taher al-Sudani said at the conference that “this eighth conference is being held on the occasion of Baghdad’s selection as the Arab Tourism Capital for 2025.”
“The conference will produce practical and actionable recommendations that will contribute, in one way or another, to preserving the architectural character of Baghdad, as well as maintaining and rehabilitating key buildings,” he added.
Iraqi artifacts have faced widespread looting and destruction since the 2003 US-led invasion and again during the Islamic State (ISIS) occupation in 2014, when militants plundered archaeological sites and museums across northern and western Iraq.
In recent years, Baghdad has intensified its efforts to repatriate stolen artifacts. In March 2022, Iraq’s National Museum reopened, displaying pieces recovered from Italy, Japan, Lebanon, and the Netherlands.
Most of the recovered antiquities have come from the United Kingdom and the United States.
[Source: Rûdaw English]
