Italian Ambassador from Dhi Qar: We are interested in Iraq's restoration of its smuggled antiquities

POSTED ON[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] BY [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

[size=52]Italian Ambassador from Dhi Qar: We are interested in Iraq's restoration of its smuggled antiquities[/size]

[size=45]Dhi Qar / Hussein Al-Amel[/size]
[size=45]The Italian embassy revealed the participation of 30 excavation missions in the work of Iraqi archaeological sites after 2003, and while it pledged to provide international assistance to restore the looted antiquities, the reporter of (Al-Mada) stated that “the Italian ambassador to Iraq, Maurizio Cricante, visited with a delegation from the Ministry of Culture in his country a visit to The ancient city of Ur in the province of Dhi Qar.[/size]
[size=45]Cricante said, "The embassy, ​​along with a delegation from the Italian Ministry of Culture, is visiting an archaeological area because of its historical importance."[/size]
[size=45]He added, "Italy believes that the nobility of civilization is what represents the cultural identity of Iraq, and that the cultural commonalities are what unites Iraq and Italy in this field."[/size]
[size=45]Cricante pointed out that "Italy has a rich experience in archaeological excavations and has participated in thirty excavation missions in Iraq from 2003 to the present."[/size]
[size=45]He pointed out, "We continue to work and coordinate with the administration of the National Museum in Baghdad to work in all regions of Iraq, including Dhi Qar," and concluded that "Italy is working hard to help Iraq restore its cultural monuments." Dhi Qar Governorate includes about 1,200 archaeological sites, most of which date back to the dawn of the Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, Achaemenid, Parthian, Sassanian and Islamic dynasties and civilizations. The Shulki Palace and the Temple (Dib Lal Mach), which is the oldest court in history.[/size]
[size=45]In turn, the deputy governor of Dhi Qar, Faisal Al-Sharifi, said that "the archaeological sites in the archaeological city of Ur witnessed great international interest after the visit of the Pope of the Vatican."[/size]
[size=45]Al-Sharifi added, "This opened wider global horizons, as the ancient city of Ur witnessed multiple visits by ambassadors and senior officials from various countries of the world, not to mention the tourist and religious delegations." He revealed, "The proposal of investment projects in the vicinity of the archaeological city of Ur and others to countries and organizations interested in Iraqi antiquities," noting that "this comes within the framework of joint cooperation with the Italian side."[/size]
[size=45]Al-Sharifi believes that “the tourism and archaeological sector in Dhi Qar Governorate is a generous and broad sector that requires great capabilities to be covered and developed, and these capabilities exceed the available local capabilities.” He pointed out that "the local government in Dhi Qar has received many promises to activate the work of foreign investment companies in the tourism sector and to employ its great expertise in this field, especially in the city of Ur." On March 6, 2021, the Pope of the Vatican held a mass and a joint prayer for followers of Iraqi religions at the house of the Prophet Ibrahim al-Khalil, and sponsored the meeting of religions in the ancient city of Ur (18 km) southwest of Nasiriyah.[/size]
[size=45]For his part, the Director of the Antiquities of Ur, Ali Kazem Ghanem, welcomed the Italian delegation's visit, and stated that "this visit constitutes a starting point for strengthening and sustaining cooperation between the two sides."[/size]
[size=45]Ghanem added, "The visit of the Italian ambassador and Italian officials interested in cultural and archaeological affairs is an opportunity to discuss prospects for joint cooperation, especially in the field of developing Ur, which is part of the global human heritage." The province of Dhi Qar (375 km south of Baghdad) combines religious, archaeological and natural tourism due to its archaeological and religious sites, as well as the marshlands, which constitute one fifth of the area of ​​the province and are currently facing drought risks due to the water crisis.[/size]
[size=45]The administration of Dhi Qar Governorate revealed at the end of last month an ambitious plan of four stages for the development of the new tourist city of Ur, and while it confirmed the completion of the two phases of land allocation and preparation of designs within the work of the first and second phases, it referred to other infrastructure development projects that continue to be worked on at the expense of the Dhi Reconstruction Fund. tar[/size]
[size=45]In April of last year, a delegation of Iraqi minorities launched the Olive Branch Campaign for Peaceful Coexistence from the ancient city of Ur, southwest of Nasiriyah. and interfaith dialogue.[/size]
[size=45][You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]