Iraq recovers 23,000 artifacts
A university professor and a scholar look at the Gilgamesh tablet at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum. Photo: EPA-EFE
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – In an announcement showing the progress made by Iraq in recovering smuggled and stolen antiquities, the Iraqi Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities revealed that more than 23,000 artifacts have been recovered from abroad during the last three years, according to a statement cited by the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
The spokesperson of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities, Ahmed al-Alyawi, explained in a statement that there are great efforts to recover stolen or smuggled Iraqi antiquities from abroad.
Two years ago, 17,338 artifacts were recovered from the United States and other countries, as well as the Gilgamesh tablet, which is the first clay tablet on which the epic poem concerning the historical King Gilgamesh, who ruled Sumerian Uruk (modern-day Iraq) in 2700 BC, was written.
A month and a half ago, as part of the Iraqi efforts to recover its antiquities, 6,000 artifacts that were borrowed by the British Museum 100 years ago were returned from England.
The Iraqi ministry continues to work on the recovery of smuggled or stolen Iraqi artifacts after terrorism played a role in sabotaging some archaeological sites where many artifacts were stolen, especially from the city of Mosul, which has important archaeological treasures.