ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - An official in Iraq’s culture ministry said Tuesday that more than 40,000 artifacts belonging to Sumerian and Babylonian civilizations that were smuggled out after the US-led invasion in 2003 have been recovered from the US, Europe, and several other countries.

 

"The efforts of the Iraqi Antiquities Recovery Department are one of the major projects undertaken by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities for years, particularly in the last four years. These efforts have culminated in the successful recovery of more than 40,000 artifacts from several countries,” Ahmed al-Aliawi, spokesperson of the culture ministry, told the state media on Tuesday. 

 

Aliawi added that the ministry has "worked continuously in cooperation with the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs and our embassies in relevant countries to recover these artifacts.”

 

The Iraqi embassy in Ankara on Monday received six ancient clay tablets from Turkey, dating back to the Mesopotamian civilization. 

 

The historical region of Mesopotamia spanned modern-day Iraq and parts of Turkey, Iran, Syria, and Kuwait, giving rise to numerous civilizations including those of the Babylonians and Sumerians. Myriad relics have been discovered by archeologists, with Mesopotamian societies having played a salient role in the development of mathematics, astronomy, and agriculture.

 

Iraq continues to work with international organizations, including UNESCO and Interpol, to retrieve smuggled artifacts.

 

Iraqi law classifies antiquities theft as a serious crime. Under the Antiquities and Heritage Law No. 55 of 2002, offenders face prison sentences from seven to 15 years, along with fines up to six times the estimated value of the stolen artifact.

 

The law imposes a life sentence for individuals responsible for managing or protecting stolen antiquities. If theft involves coercion or armed individuals, the penalty can escalate to death.

 

The culture ministry’s spokesperson detailed that they have taken measures to prevent the smuggling of antiquities. 

 

“Significant efforts are being made to combat random excavations, theft, and smuggling of antiquities from the ground,” the official said. “There is cooperation with several countries to prevent the trafficking of antiquities, and there is a major security effort to seize stolen pieces.”