The Iraq Museum

The Museum is dedicated to the collection and interpretation of the history of Iraq and its environs. The collections consist of mainly man-made objects covering the past 7,000 years. The types of objects in the collection represent Sumerian, Akkadian, Assyrian, Babylonian and Islamic cultures and include objects made of glass, pottery, metal, ivory, and parchment, among others.

The Iraq National Museum is the only institution dedicated to protecting the comprehensive and collective archaeological heritage of Iraq from loss or destruction in order that it may be enjoyed and studied by the present and future generations of citizens and survive for additional thousands of years. If these collections are worth keeping as heritage source materials, the identity of each item must be guarded. Time and effort are required to keep accurate records and care for the collections, which are the Museum’s principal assets. The reason for preserving collections is to use them as a means of bringing enrichment and knowledge to as many people as possible. To do this, collections must be publicly exhibited and interpreted. The Museum plays an active role in the life of Iraq, by offering supplementary services including educational programming that encourages more frequent use of the artifacts that aid in the pursuit of new interests created by them.