Iraq has successfully retrieved approximately 181 smuggled artifacts, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities announced on Monday.
In a ceremony held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters, these artifacts were formally accepted in the presence of Tourism Minister Ahmed Fakak al-Badrani and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein.
The repatriation of these artifacts followed Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani’s visit to the United States in April. According to the Ministry of Tourism, the artifacts were transported back to Baghdad on the presidential plane. Among the returned items were a bronze figure of a man and eight metal boxes containing skeletons.
These artifacts were originally smuggled to Los Angeles in the 1990s from the ancient site of Nimrod in Iraq’s northern Nineveh province. The ceremony also marked the return of artifacts from Washington, Jordan, Norway, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
Minister Badrani emphasized that the ministry would persist in its efforts to recover more national artifacts that have been smuggled to various countries.
Iraq’s cultural heritage has faced extensive looting and vandalism since the US invasion in 2003, a situation worsened by the rise of the Islamic State (ISIS) in 2014. However, recent years have seen Iraq intensify its efforts to recover and repatriate these stolen antiquities.
During his visit to England for the coronation of King Charles III last May, Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid arranged the return of 6,000 artifacts taken by Britain a century ago.
Later that month, the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the repatriation of over 34,000 artifacts from various countries since 2019.
The retrieval of these artifacts is a significant step in preserving Iraq’s rich cultural heritage and history. These efforts demonstrate the country’s dedication to reclaiming its cultural identity and heritage, inspiring hope for the protection and restoration of global cultural assets.