Iraqi soldiers explore the ruined museum where Islamic State militants filmed themselves destroying priceless statues and sculptures in 2015, Mosul, Iraq, March 11, 2017. (photo by REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani)
ishtartv.com - al-monitor.com
By Adnan
Abu Zeed, March 30, 2017
When
Iraqi soldiers entered the Mosul Museum on March 13, they were
greeted by scenes of enormous damage caused by the Islamic State (IS).
Some items had been destroyed or burned, while others had been stolen by IS militants and sold
to antiquities traders.
Iraqis and the rest of the world celebrated when the
museum was freed from IS' grip, but their joy was bittersweet.
UNESCO spokesperson Irina Bokova praised the liberation of the museum on March 9 and
described the Feb. 26, 2015, attack on it as a “cultural tragedy.” The Mosul Museum, established in 1952 and considered the
second most important museum after the Iraqi Museum in Baghdad, is now charred
rubble. The sculptures of winged bulls symbolizing the Assyrian Empire that guarded its gates were both
destroyed.
Jalila
al-Obeidi, a member of Nineveh's provincial council, told Al-Monitor, “The
losses are grave and priceless. They have ruined the facade and the artifacts
of the museum. Everything has been stolen and smuggled away.”
The
museum's artifacts dated back to the Sumerian and Akkadian eras as well as the Hellenistic
era that came three centuries before Christianity. The museum also contained
artifacts from Nimrod’s historical city dating back to the 9th century
B.C. in the southeast of Mosul, destroyed by IS in 2014. In Iraq,
more than 200,000 ancient artifacts have been stolen since 2003.
Faleh
al-Shammari, director of antiquities in Nineveh, told Al-Monitor over the
phone, “The museum was divided into three sections organized by chronological
order. The first section included antiquities … dating back to 3000
B.C. The most important section displayed Assyrian antiquities dating back
to over 900 BC, including those found in Nineveh. … They are rare artifacts,
unparalleled in the world.” He added, “The museum devoted a section to the
Hatra era that dates back to 100 B.C.”
Shammari
went on, “The museum also dedicated a corner to the Islamic era, starting
with the rise of Islam in the 7th century B.C. until the fall
of the Islamic caliphate in 1924. This corner contained valuable Islamic
documents, scriptures, symbols and artifacts.” He admitted sadly, “We are
currently processing our shock. There is no museum left. It is a haunted place,
and its walls have become black facades covered with dust and smoke.”
Today,
there is nothing left. IS militants stole all the small antiquities,
taking what they could carry. They did not spare the heavier items, which
they destroyed with axes or set on fire.
Former
Ninevah Gov. Atheel al-Nujaifi told reporters on Feb. 26, 2015,
that IS members stole
the more valuable originals and destroyed the imitations.
The
story of the Mosul Museum is just one in a series of tragedies during the bitter wars that shook Iraq since the 1980s, leaving it
with a legacy of looting, destruction and robbery. The National Museum in Baghdad was looted in 2003, and many of
its contents were destroyed, while many historical sites suffered illegal excavations, their antiquities stolen and sold.
Former
Minister of Tourism Adil Fahed al-Sharshab told Al-Monitor, “The Mosul Museum
had shut its doors from 2003 until 2012 due to the war. In 2012, it
reopened to visitors.” He said that the first step in restoring the
museum is to remove the rubble and assess the losses. He reported
that the General Commission of Antiquities is working to find the
resources including funding and technical support needed to restore the museum.
Sharshab
said that ways to restore the museum and offer it financial support were
explored during the UNESCO meeting in February. The management has already
requested funding from the federal and local governments to start the
work.
Sharshab
added, “UNESCO has listed a museum visit on its agenda. A group of international
and Iraqi experts will visit Mosul Museum, as they all agree on the importance
of restoring it to preserve international cultural heritage.” He
called on world countries to work together to find and return the smuggled pieces.
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