New UNESCO project launched in Baghdad to protect Iraqi cultural heritage "Today, we show our solidarity in the face of unprecedented cultural cleansing, cultural eradication and cultural looting ... And we pledge our commitment to do everything we can to halt this cultural cleansing”, said UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, at the launch of the new […]
From AFP. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Ancient Iraqi artifacts seized or tracked down by US Customs were put on display at the Iraqi embassy in Washington at an event to mark their repatriation, even as parts of Iraq remain under […]
By Patrick Schmidt. The Iraqi Director of Antiquities has confirmed that the Islamic State (IS, ISIS, ISIL) destroyed portions of the historical city of Dur-Sharrukin (Khorsabad). The city was once a capital for the Assyrian Empire. The militants also ransacked the Mosul Museum and destroyed other artifacts in the Mosul Library. The group has also […]
By John Lee. Militants from the Islamic State (IS, ISIS, ISIL) have reportedly destroyed ruins at the ancient city of Hatra, 110km (68 miles) south-west of Mosul. The UNESCO world heritage was founded during the Parthian Empire over 2,000 years ago. "The destruction of Hatra marks a turning point in the appalling strategy of cultural […]
By John Lee. The Islamic State (IS, ISIS, ISIL) has bulldozed the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud (Kahlka), which lies about 30km (18 miles) south-east of Mosul. The city was founded more than 3,300 years ago and was one of the capitals of the Assyrian empire. Its frescos and works are celebrated around the world […]
By John Lee. No doubt in the hope of happier times ahead, Iraq's National Museum has opened two new halls at a recent well attended ceremony. Showcasing objects from a span of 7000 years of Mesopotamian history, a key feature of the new part of the museum was some 500 objects from the Hellenistic period, […]
University of Manchester archaeologists have started the excavation of an enormous building complex in Iraq, thought to be around 4,000 years old. The team, directed by Professor Stuart Campbell and Dr Jane Moon, both from Manchester, and independent archaeologist Robert Killick, first spotted the amazing structure – thought to be an administrative complex serving one […]
By John Lee. Azzaman quotes a senior official at the Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism as saying that the United States still keeps 80,000 ancient Iraqi artifacts and refuses to return them to the Iraq Museum. Hazem al-Shammari said Iraqi authorities were in touch with their American counterparts but the discussion have so far led […]
By John Lee. Iraqi archaeologists have found a hoard of ancient gold coins in the town of Aziziyah, in Wasit [Wassit] province, and hope to put them on display in Baghdad's National Museum. The coins date back to the Sassanid era, a Persian dynasty that ruled Iraq from the third century until the coming of the […]
AKnews reports that the Iraqi Ministry for Tourism will begin renovating Kirkuk's historic citadel in early February. Deputy head of Kirkuk's archeology office told AKnews that the ministry has not announced the allocated budget for the project. She added this is the second time the citadel, located in the central Kirkuk, will be renovated. The […]
An official in Diwaniya said on Friday evening that the Iraqi Ministry of Tourism has allocated 3.5bn Iraqi Dinars (ID) [$3m] to the rehabilitation of the Neipur [Nippur] archaeological city south of Diwaniya, 180 km south of Baghdad. Dakhil al-Kanani, the head of the Supreme Committee of the Niepur cultural festival in Diwaniya province told […]
