Baghdad: Iraqi Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities, Ahmed Fakak Al-Badrani, announced on Saturday that the Ministry intends to build a new museum on a large plot of land to display artifacts from various ancient periods of Mesopotamian civilization.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, during a speech at the “Comprehensiveness of Contemporary Tourist Destinations” conference in Baghdad, the Minister said, “We are discussing Arab and Iraqi tourism and how to create integrated tourism. Antiquities form the roots of any nation and country, expressing its authenticity, and how it can be utilized for sustainable tourism.”

He added, “The maintenance and restoration of antiquities is a comprehensive endeavor, and some cities in the world are essentially museums.” He emphasized that “the Iraqi state, since its founding, has been interested in antiquities, and many interested individuals seek to access and view them.”

Al-Badrani pointed to the protection of archaeological sites throughout the country, explaining, “Providing protection doesn’t mean security measures or a police presence, but rather the protection and care that citizens themselves provide for these antiquities.”

The Minister continued, “We have recovered a very large number of artifacts that were looted and stolen during various periods due to the events that have plagued us in the past.” He noted that “a large site has been selected for the construction of another cultural museum, and what is available in storage is more than what is currently on display from our civilization in the land of Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilizations.”