National Museum of Iraq

The National Museum of Iraq is the largest and oldest museum in Iraq . Located in Baghdad , in the Alawi Al-Hella area. It was created in 1923 by Gertrude Bell , who hoped that the collected collections would help Iraqis learn the richness of their history and realize their identity. She herself led the excavation and study of finds. The main function of the museum is to preserve the cultural heritage of Iraq and the memory of its history.

The Baghdad Archaeological Museum was originally located in the palace of King Faisal . In 1926, the collection moved to a separate room, it was then that the museum began to receive visitors. By this time, thousands of finds of archaeological expeditions working in Mesopotamia no longer fit in a modest building on Al-Ma'amun Street. Only in 1966, the National Museum of Iraq received a new spacious building. Now, in 28 galleries and vaults, priceless relics, artifacts, and chronicles of the history of ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia have been housed. In 1988, unique exhibits of gold from Nimrud , one of the richest archaeological finds of the 20th century, joined the existing exhibits.

Following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, Saddam Hussein prudently instructed to hide Nimrod’s treasures in safes of the National Bank of Iraq. The museum was closed in 1991 for a long 9 years during the Gulf War, in the midst of Operation Desert Storm , for fear of further air strikes. Only on April 28, 2000, on his 63rd birthday, did Saddam Hussein allow the National Museum to be opened for visitors. Visitors did not see Nimrud gold then. The fate of the treasury was not known until 2003.

In April, during the fighting in Baghdad, museum employees left the building due to a shootout between the Iraqi unit in the museum courtyard and the Americans. According to some reports, looters robbed the museum for about 48 hours. It took months to assess the damage. About 15 thousand items disappeared from the museum, many of which are priceless.

Colonel Matthew Bogdanos organized an investigation into the incident, establishing the true situation. His people convinced the people of Baghdad that they were not in danger of returning the values ​​from the collection of the National Museum of Iraq. Thanks to reports of the amnesty of thieves, about 2,000 exhibits were transferred to the museum in a few months. During special raids, the same number of historical objects was revealed. Through the efforts of the customs officers of Syria and Lebanon , Interpol and the FBI within 5 years, 1,500 valuable items belonging to the National Museum of Iraq were brought back to Baghdad. Later, Matthew Bogdanos will write a book about his investigation called “Baghdad Thieves.”

After six years of closure due to the American invasion and occupation of Iraq, on February 23, 2009, the National Museum re-opened. Many were against the discovery, arguing that the safety conditions left much to be desired and the museum’s collection is at risk of new looting. As a result, the museum was again closed.

In 2013, the head of the museum’s information center, Tanhid Ali, said that out of 15 thousand stolen exhibits of the National Museum, only about 4 thousand were returned. He recalled that in 2003, American soldiers walked through the museum’s halls like a supermarket and took what they liked ; at the same time, the robbers knew where and what to take, having the scheme of the museum’s storerooms and special equipment for breaking storage ^[1] .