Anbar antiquities ... treasures under the dust that reveal aspects of the ancient Iraqi civilization

The Iraqi province of Anbar is rich in hundreds of ancient archaeological sites, but most of these monuments are still buried underground and have not been excavated, according to a statement by the General Directorate of Antiquities.

Despite their unique importance, the archaeological sites in Iraq face great challenges after being destroyed and looted in 2003, in addition to the excesses, neglect and lack of rehabilitation they suffer.

Historical significance

Iraqi antiquities have great historical significance and symbolism, especially when art occupies a space in the structure of Mesopotamian culture, as most specialists in the study of art history tend to acknowledge the specificity, aesthetics and innovations of Mesopotamia, as one of the major traditions in the history of human civilization, says Dr. Muhammad Al-Obaidi, Professor History of ancient art at Al-Mustansiriya University.

Al-Obaidi added to Al-Jazeera Net, that Iraq is a country of ancient civilizations, and these civilizations that took place in Iraq, whether they were Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian or Assyrian, up to the Islamic civilization, were in turn opening up surprisingly, and called again in the trends of contemporary thought, because they work according to Formal systems can be a source of excitement for the recipient in modern and postmodern eras.

The head of the General Authority for Antiquities and Heritage, Dr. Laith Majeed Hussein, explains the importance of Iraqi antiquities, as the land of Iraq is considered one of the oldest civilizations in the world, where writing was invented and recording began in about 3500 BC, and many empires arose, making the land of Iraq full of archaeological sites for all periods of time .

Anbar monuments

The number of archaeological sites in Anbar is about 438, most of them are distributed on both sides of the Euphrates River, and a few of these sites are spread in the Rutba desert, according to Muhammad Jasim, inspector of Anbar's antiquities.

He adds to Al-Jazeera Net, "No accurate surveying operations have been conducted for most of Anbar province until now, and the last survey was in 2002, that is, before the invasion of Iraq, but it was not completed."

He points out that the historical eras dating back to the archaeological sites in Anbar, from the stone ages to the Islamic, interspersed with known historical eras.

Hussein continues, "Most of the archaeological sites in Iraq in general are centers of human settlement, meaning that they begin settlement since the stone ages, the era of the dawn of the dynasties and continue to settle into the late Islamic periods, for example the ancient fortress of Heet in Anbar, where the sources indicate that it was settled before the era. Sargon of Akkad and continued settlement there to this day.

He confirms that the archaeological excavation has stopped in Anbar, as the last excavation took place in 2009 at the site of Tal Aswad, near the city of Heet, on the left bank of the Euphrates River, which is a rich and famous site.

The archaeological finds found in it during the first season of excavation indicate their settlement since the dawn of the second dynasties, that is, around 2000 BC, especially when a number of walls built by the fish bone method appeared, and this is a well-known method and was used in construction during that period.

The reason for stopping the excavations is due to the security conditions and the lack of financial allocations, and this applies to all archaeological sites in Iraq.

Jasim believes that there are undiscovered archaeological sites, especially in the Anbar desert (Al-Jazeera)

Muhammad Jassim expects the existence of undiscovered archaeological sites, especially in the Anbar desert, where records of the Anbar Antiquities Inspectorate indicate the existence of 4 or more sites.

World Heritage

The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities, represented by the Antiquities Authority, is preparing to introduce 12 new archaeological sites to the World Heritage List, including many sites in Anbar Governorate, especially in the areas of Heet, Anah, and the Euphrates, according to Al-Obeidi.

Hussein confirms to Al-Jazeera Net, that Anbar Governorate is one of the governorates that includes very important archaeological sites, extending back to ancient time periods, and some of them date back to the ancient Babylonian era, and there are sites dating back to the Islamic period, and all regions of Iraq are full of archaeological sites that are counted in the thousands, and until today We are still discovering and recording new archaeological sites.

Tourist interface

The head of the General Authority for Antiquities and Heritage talked about the existence of a tendency to support archaeological tourism, and to prepare good tourist facilities for archaeological sites, which generate funds for the state by site visitors and foreign and Iraqi tourists.

He believes that there are hundreds of archaeological sites that can be made an important tourist destination, especially after the upcoming visit of the Pope of the Vatican to Ur, Baghdad, Mosul and Najaf, to be one of the world's tourist destinations in the future.

While Al-Obeidi believes the need for archaeological sites for great financial and logistical support and technical expertise to preserve them, especially in terms of security.

In order to complete the clear promotional image of the Iraqi civilization, Al-Obaidi called for creating a large infrastructure for each archaeological site, providing visitors with the means of comfort, safety and reassurance, as is found in all archaeological sites in the world.

protection

Iraqi antiquities were stolen and destroyed, and many artifacts were smuggled, and the Ministry of Antiquities was able to recover about 4,000 artifacts, according to Al-Obaidi.

Hussein noted that the role of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities is great in protecting antiquities and preserving archaeological sites, and that there is a great trend to restore all antiquities outside Iraq, as there are hundreds of cases in the courts to recover these antiquities, and many of the artifacts that were smuggled have been recovered.

Hussein confirmed that Anbar Governorate is one of the governorates that includes very important archaeological sites (Al-Jazeera)

Meanwhile, the Anbar Antiquities Inspector called on the security authorities in the province to make more efforts to protect antiquities by assigning specialized small detachments to permanently spread in archaeological sites, and not contenting themselves with monitoring operations through police stations in those areas.

To get a closer look at the antiquities of Anbar, Al-Jazeera Net headed to the city of Hit, as it is one of the oldest cities in the governorate, which is rich in an ancient historical legacy.

Abd al-Rahman al-Hiti, a researcher in the folklore of the city of Heet, states that when Enkidu (a character from the Sumerian mythology) passed through the city, he was impressed by the eyes of bitumen that emit fire, bitumen and water, and he thought they were the sounds of the underworld.

Teacher Hashem Yassin - a resident of Heet and interested in its heritage - points out that the Maamoura lighthouse - along with the surrounding area - is one of the most important landmarks of the city, which dates back to the Himyarite state (115 BC - 300 AD) according to some historians.

The health employee, Abdul Qadir Abdul Wahed, who is a resident of the area, points out that the monuments, stones and foundations indicate that the lighthouse of the globe was not built alone, as it is within a complete archaeological city, but it was neglected.