Layla Salih

Biography

Layla previously worked as a Researcher at the General Directorate of Investigation and Excavation under the State Board of Antiquities and Excavation in Iraq. Since participating in the ITP in 2009, she completed a Master’s degree in Islamic Architecture in 2013. In 2014, Layla was the manager of a 3D documentation project recording 200 heritage houses in Mosul city.

In February 2015, Layla co-founded a non-profit organisation called the Galgarnesh Center for Heritage Protection. This organisation does assessment work on heritage in Nineveh province which have been affected by ongoing conflict. In 2016, she worked as part of a training programme entitled Iraq Emergency Heritage Management documenting the destruction of Nineveh province.

From 2018 Layla has worked with international NGOs on many important issues such as humanitarian needs and the use of cultural heritage for peaceful coexistence among different communities. She now works as an adviser for GIZ in youth development to help protect cultural heritage.

At the British Museum
During her time on the International Training Programme in 2009, Layla was based in the Department of the Middle East and her partner placement was spent at Glasgow Museums.

An element of the programme was a morning of presentations, in which groups of participants presented a 10-minute illustrated talk, prompted by the task to consider a new display of the fellows cultures at the British Museum.  Layla’s exhibition proposal, with colleague Salim Hussien, was entitled The Zengids of Mosul.

Layla’s participation on the International Training Programme was generously supported by the British Institute for the Study of Iraq (Gertrude Bell Memorial).

Legacy Projects
In November 2015 Layla attended the ITP Mumbai Workshop Creating museums of world stories. The workshop was held at CSMVS Mumbai, India and was attended by many ITP fellows from different years and countries, UK partners and British Museum colleagues.