Germany returns borrowed artifacts to Iraqi embassy in Berlin

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
25 Jul 2022 22:25
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The Iraqi embassy in Berlin received 125 artifacts from the Institute for Near Eastern Archaeology at the Frei Universität (The Free University) in Berlin.

Ishtar Gate, Berlin Museum, The 8th gate of Babylon, 575 BC by King Nebuchadnezzar II on the north side

A press release issued on Sunday, July 24, by the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that the Iraqi embassy in Berlin received a number of artifacts that cumulates to 125 from the Institute for Near Eastern Archaeology at the Frei Universität (The Free University) in Berlin.

The artifacts are from the site of Abu Salabikh, around 20 kilometers northwest of the site of ancient Nippur in Al-Qadisiyah governorate in the center-south of Iraq, and have been borrowed since the 1990s for study purposes as they date back to 3100BC - 4000BC, known as the Uruk period.

According to the statement, the representative of the Institute for Near Eastern Archaeology explained that the German side is interested in Mesopotamian civilization and that it is one of the priorities of the German archaeological authorities during the handover ceremony held at the embassy in Berlin.

Luqman Abdul Rahim Al-Faili, the Iraqi ambassador in Berlin, appreciated the Institute for Near Eastern Archaeology's efforts to complete this procedure and stated his wish for ongoing collaboration with the German side in the sphere of culture and archaeological investigations.

During the war that Iraq has experienced in the past, particularly in the years that followed the invasion of the international coalition headed by the United States in 2003, archaeological sites around the country have seen devastation, theft, and neglect.

Along with the roughly 32,000 items that were stolen from Iraqi archaeological sites during the American aggression, some 15,000 pieces were taken from the Baghdad Museum alone.

In an action taken as part of attempts by concerned Iraqi officials to retrieve artifacts trafficked during the previous 30 years, the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in January 2022 that Baghdad had recovered five priceless antiques from the United States.

Earlier this month, the Nigerian government signed a statement in Berlin on Friday stipulating the return of 1,130 Benin Bronzes from Germany.

According to a news statement issued by Nigeria's Ministry of Information and Culture, the historic joint proclamation would pave the way for the repatriation of bronzes plundered from the ancient Benin Kingdom during the Benin Expedition of 1897, 125 years ago.