Iraqi president discusses listing Babylon as world heritage site
Babylon’s Ishtar Gate
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraqi President Barham Salih on Sunday called on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to include the ancient sites in Babylon on the World Heritage List as soon as possible.
Salih made the remarks during a meeting with Culture Minister Abdulamir Al-Hamdani at the As-Salam palace in Baghdad, Iraqi website Al-Ahd News quoted a statement by the presidency as saying.
According to the statement, the meeting tackled efforts exerted to “list archaeological places in Babylon as protected world heritage sites.”
Salih stressed the importance of protecting cultural heritage and providing all possible support for the Culture Ministry to help it overcome different hardships.
The culture minister, for his part, thanked Salih for his continued support of the ministry, promising to spare no effort to develop the cultural field in Iraq.
The city of Babylon is one of the oldest cities in Iraq and in the region.
Several Iraqi antiquities were looted after the United States invasion in 2003.