Basrah Museum

The new Basrah Museum is housed in one of Saddam Hussein’s former palaces, and was opened to the public in September 2016. This followed the closure in 2003 of the old Basrah Museum, which suffered looting in the 1st and 2nd Gulf Wars. The Museum showcases the rich cultural heritage of Iraq, from 3000 BC to the early 20th century.

In December 2016 the Trustees of the Friends of Basrah Museum were awarded a British Council Cultural Protection Fund grant to complete the installation of three remaining galleries. These galleries opened to the public in March 2019, and display important cultural heritage that has been stored in Baghdad since 2003, telling the story of the most important eras in Iraq’s history: Sumer (Southern Iraq in the period 3300 BC to 1792 BC), Babylon (the great period of Mesopotamian civilisation from 1792 BC to 330 BC) and Assyria (Northern Iraq between 883 BC and 612 BC). (British Council)

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