125 artifacts to be returned to Iraq soon

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities announced on Monday the imminent recovery of 125 antiquities from Germany, and confirmed that thousands of pieces already returned from different countries, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).

The spokesperson of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities, Ahmed Al-Aliyawi, said that the ministry gives attention to the issue of recovering Iraqi artifacts from Arab and foreign countries.

Aliyawi indicated that Iraq signed agreements that prevent antiquities trafficking, and this provided a legal cover to prevent trafficking, additionally, to prosecute gangs who steal and smuggle antiquities illegally to different countries.

“The Iraqi security agencies are cooperating with the ministry and making efforts to pursue and arrest gangs and find artifacts in their possession,” Aliyawi explained.

Aliyawi emphasized that there is a focused effort to recover Iraqi artifacts from all countries.

Aliyawi clarified that there are efforts to bring back 125 artifacts from Germany which have been in a University in Berlin since 1990. These pieces left Iraq through ‘official borrowing,’ a cooperation program between countries in the field of antiquities, but they remained there.

The Iraqi official elaborated that the pieces were recently delivered to the Iraqi embassy in Germany, and soon will be returned to Iraq. He added that thousands of artifacts have been officially returned from the United States of America, Japan and other countries.