Baghdad chosen as the capital of culture in the Islamic world for the year 2026

Baghdad - INA

The Ministry of Culture announced today, Thursday, the selection of Baghdad as the capital of culture in the Islamic world for the year 2026.

The Ministry of Culture said in a statement received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA): "A delegation from it attended the work of the thirteenth session of the Conference of Ministers of Culture in the Islamic World held in Jeddah, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the period from 12-13/2/2025."

The representative of the Minister of Culture at the conference and head of the Iraqi delegation, Director General of the Iraqi Manuscripts House, Ahmed Karim Al-Aliawi, confirmed that "the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities, under the supervision of Minister Ahmed Fakak Al-Badrani, and the cooperation of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), made a distinguished effort for this important accreditation, so that Baghdad would receive some of its cultural entitlement, as it contributed to the history of Islamic civilization, so its influence extended to include the world, as it was the city of peace, science, thought, translation, education and schools, and the maker of scholars, thinkers, poets, writers and creators, for centuries and still, providing the present with promising talents."

In the speech he delivered at the conference, Al-Aliawi referred to the history of Iraq, its civilization, the impact of Baghdad on human awareness, the ministry’s efforts to preserve cultural identity, its continuous work to preserve antiquities and heritage, and its ongoing movement to recover antiquities, including the ministry’s request to adopt Baghdad as the capital of culture in the Islamic world for the year 2026.”