Iraq plans new museum in Baghdad’s post-American ‘Green Zone’
Turning part of the Green Zone into a museum appears to be a deliberate attempt to reclaim space long associated with foreign control.
Government and Cultural Heritage
Iraq will build a new museum inside Baghdad’s Green Zone, turning the capital’s most protected government district into a post-American venue for culture and archaeological display.
Culture Minister Ahmed Fakak Al-Badrani said in a statement Monday the museum will take up a large footprint within the Green Zone to allow “for the accommodation of more archaeological artifacts.” Iraqi officials did not release a construction timeline or budget.
“The minister stressed that the new museum will be an important addition to the cultural scene, alongside the Iraqi Museum, noting that Iraq possesses a tremendous cultural heritage that needs more than one space to display it to citizens, visitors and tourists,” Iraq’s Culture Ministry said.
The Green Zone, formally the International Zone, served as the U.S.-controlled seat of the Coalition Provisional Authority after the 2003 invasion. It is a heavily fortified area that remains home to Iraq’s parliament, the prime minister’s offices and several embassies.
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Al-Badrani gave additional comments about the planned museum at a tourism conference in Baghdad on Saturday, Baghdad’s Shafaq News reported.
In his comments, Al-Badrani noted that Iraq has recovered a large number of artifacts that were looted after the U.S. invasion and during the subsequent control of the country’s north by ISIS.
Turning part of the Green Zone into a museum marks a sharp shift from its wartime role and appears to be a deliberate attempt to reclaim space long associated with foreign control.
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But the project also reflects a practical need as the Iraqi Museum, located outside the Green Zone in the al-Salhiyah neighborhood, cannot display more than a fraction of the country’s archaeological holdings.
The Iraqi Museum, founded in 1926, is one of the Middle East’s most important institutions but remains constrained by years of looting and decades of conflict.
In October, Al-Badrani announced that British authorities recently seized 185 Iraqi artifacts as Iraq pushes for the repatriation of looted items. He said that the seizure in Britain, which happened a few days earlier, highlights the ministry’s commitment to protecting Iraq’s national heritage.
Iraqi officials said in July that more than 40,000 artifacts had been repatriated to the country in recent years amid ongoing efforts to recover them.
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