MOC: Iraq will receive Sumerian artifacts from Lebanon

International/Culture and art

9-12-2021, 23:14

+A -A

Baghdad-INA

Culture Minister Hassan Nadhim,revealed on Thursday, the process of restoring Gilgamesh board to Iraq, how to force the company that was owned by the waived without charge despite the purchase by it for an amount exceeding $ 1.5 million, as he emphasized that Iraq will take over soon artifacts from Lebanon.

Nadhim said during his speech to the (Neutral) program broadcast by Al-Iraqiya News and followed by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), that "the Gilgamesh tablet goes back more than 3,500 years and its text is unique and has been translated in studies, and his idea is related to the civilization of Enkidu and its transfer from savage wildlife to civilization.".

He added, "The recovery of the Gilgamesh Tablet represents the second largest recovery operation after a first operation in which we recovered 17,000 artifacts last July."

The delay reason in his arrival to Iraq, he explained that "the arrival of the Gilgamesh Tablet to Iraq was delayed due to logistical issues because it is fragile, and we thought of fortifications.".

He pointed out that "the tablet was sold at a price of 1.6 million dollars by Christie's auction for the Hobby Lobby Company, an American chain of arts and crafts stores. to return to Iraq.

He revealed that "the company relinquished the tablet without demanding payment of any amount in return for not suing them," noting that "Iraqi law forbids paying any sums to restore antiquities.".

Regarding the ministry's work in the antiquities file, he explained that "the culture and antiquities operate fundamentally and are subject to the Antiquities Law No. 55 of 2002, which allows it to negotiate with the authorities that take possession of Iraq's antiquities."