National Museum of Iraq

National Museum of Iraq

The National Museum of Iraq was established in the 1920s as the country's first museum and houses the most extensive collection of artifacts. It was recognized by UNESCO as the eleventh largest museum in the world, with an original collection of nearly 300,000 precious relics showcasing the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia. In 2003, after U.S. forces entered Baghdad, the museum was looted and damaged by raiders, resulting in the loss of a large number of artifacts. To this day, thousands of relics and artworks remain unaccounted for.

In February 2009, it reopened to the public after being closed for six years. The museum has 28 exhibition halls and once housed a vast collection of artifacts unearthed from the Euphrates and Tigris river basins (collectively known as Mesopotamia) since 1950, including precious relics from various ethnic groups and eras that once thrived in Mesopotamia. These collections reflect the brilliant and diverse cultures created by different peoples, yet connected through shared heritage. The museum’s library also formerly held nearly 6,000 manuscripts and about 70,000 books in various languages—making it an indispensable cultural treasure for studying Mesopotamian civilization. Among them, the Sumerian clay tablets inscribed with cuneiform script from around 4000 BC, including literature and epic poetry, are truly priceless treasures.