Dhi Qar - INA
The UNESCO mission in Iraq has stressed the importance of supporting Iraq’s archaeological and heritage sites and investing in them to enhance tourism, diversify the economy, and create job opportunities, while the Antiquities Inspectorate of Dhi Qar welcomed expanded cooperation with the international organization to develop World Heritage sites in the province.
Head of the mission Alexandros Makaragakis said during a visit to several archaeological sites in Dhi Qar province, in remarks to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), that he felt the significance of visiting these globally important sites in his capacity as the new UNESCO representative in Iraq. He said the visit aimed to gain first-hand knowledge of how the organization could support Iraq in preserving its rich cultural heritage and utilizing it for tourism development, economic diversification, and job creation.
For his part, Assistant Director of the Dhi Qar Antiquities Inspectorate, Haider Al-Ameri, told INA that the Antiquities Directorate and the inspectorate welcomed the Director of the UNESCO office in Iraq, noting that the organization had expressed readiness to follow up and develop World Heritage-listed sites in the province, including Eridu, Ur, and the Central Marshes as well as the Al-Hammar Marshes.
He added that the UNESCO official had also expressed willingness to help bring in foreign excavation missions to work on key archaeological sites, noting that the delegation visited the ancient city of Ur, the city of Eridu, and the marshlands.
Meanwhile, Kazem Hassoun, a staff member of the Dhi Qar Antiquities Inspectorate accompanying the delegation, told INA that the visit included an inspection of maintenance work at the Ziggurat of Ur and an assessment of the challenges facing the ancient site. He noted that sudden climate change has caused structural collapses in a number of archaeological buildings.
He said the visit represents an important step in supporting the antiquities and heritage sector, particularly given UNESCO’s role in revitalizing archaeological sites and preserving cultural heritage in Iraq and globally, expressing hope that the organization would contribute to training Iraqi archaeologists, especially in language and conservation fields, as well as supporting efforts to protect smuggled antiquities.
Hassoun added that Dhi Qar province looks forward to expanding technical and moral cooperation with UNESCO in a way that serves the protection of cultural heritage and the public interest.
