Iraq: Baghdad gets back over 17,000 looted ancient artefacts

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Over 17,000 looted ancient artefacts recovered from the US and other countries were handed over to Iraq’s Culture Ministry on Tuesday, restitution described by the government as the largest in the country’s history.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein and Culture Minister Hassan Nazim attended the restitution ceremony and held a press conference afterwards in Baghdad.

“We are announcing the delivery of 17,321 artefacts from the United States of America, nine artefacts from Japan, seven from Holland and one item from Italy, bringing the total to 17,338 during this year only,” Hussein said after the ceremony.

Nazim, in turn, described the restitution as “the largest in the history of Iraq,” and went on saying “the restitution of 17,000 artefacts is an important cultural event related to the identity of Iraq, Iraqi history, and the Iraqi present, as it’s not just a recovery of material pieces that will be placed in the museum.”

According to the Iraqi government, Washington reached a deal with Baghdad to return the treasures, including a 3,500-year-old clay tablet bearing part of the Epic of Gilgamesh, which was illegally smuggled to America.

Many of Iraq’s artefacts were looted during the US invasion of Iraq back in 2003, today Baghdad is still trying to restore them by pursuing smugglers and antiquities auctions around the world.

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SOT, Fouad Hussein, Iraqi Foreign Minister (Arabic): “Owing to the foregoing, we are announcing the delivery of 17,321 artefacts from the United States of America, nine artefacts from Japan, seven from Holland and one item from Italy, bringing the total to 17,338 during this year only.”

SOT, Hassan Nazim, Iraqi Culture Minister and government spokesperson (Arabic): “Thus, the restitution of 17,000 artefacts is an important cultural event related to the identity of Iraq, Iraqi history and the Iraqi present, as it’s not just a recovery of material pieces that will be placed in the museum.”

SOT, Hassan Nazim, Iraqi Culture Minister and government spokesperson (Arabic): “This restitution is the largest in the history of Iraq.”

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