Iraq launches major campaign to safeguard ancient sites
Initiative to protect over 1,100 archaeological locations marks Iraq’s largest heritage preservation effort in decades
KIRKUK, Iraq (MNTV) — Authorities in Kirkuk have launched a large-scale heritage protection campaign aimed at securing more than 1,100 archaeological sites across the province, in what officials describe as Iraq’s most comprehensive preservation initiative in decades.
Raed al-Obaidi, head of the Kirkuk Antiquities and Heritage Department, said on Friday that 300 guards will be recruited from Iraq’s social protection program to prevent encroachment, looting, and illegal excavations at key sites.
A provincial committee will supervise the recruitment and deployment process, covering nearly 80 percent of Kirkuk’s heritage zones to preserve the city’s cultural and historical identity, al-Obaidi added.
Iraq’s archaeological wealth has suffered severe losses over the past two decades due to war, neglect, and theft. During the 2003 Iraq War, about 15,000 artifacts—among them 5,000 cylinder seals—were looted from the National Museum in Baghdad, with only a small portion recovered, according to UNESCO.
Kirkuk’s ancient citadel and its surrounding old town have long faced erosion and degradation, though the site has been proposed for Iraq’s tentative UNESCO World Heritage list.
Officials say the new campaign aims to reverse decades of deterioration and restore the province’s historical landmarks to global attention.
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