A collection of stolen ancient artefacts is set to be returned to Iraq after being displayed at a ceremony in Rome, The National reported.
The event, held at the Iraqi embassy, was attended by Iraq’s ambassador to Italy, Saywan Sabir Mustafa Barzani, alongside Italian officials, including Michele Minetti, head of the Italian Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Property.
The recovered items include vases, pottery fragments, metal objects, and terracotta cones inscribed with royal texts from the Mesopotamian era, dating back to the reign of King Gudea of Lagash (2200–2150 BC).
Ambassador Barzani thanked Italy’s Antiquities and Heritage Protection Unit for its role in recovering the artefacts, highlighting the strong cooperation between the two nations in preserving cultural heritage and noted that the embassy had previously received looted artefacts on five occasions, most recently in July 2024.
Iraq has been working to retrieve thousands of artefacts taken from the country over the years, particularly those smuggled out during the 1990s and in the aftermath of the 2003 US-led invasion.
