Iraqi National Museum

Baghdad, Iraq

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The Iraqi National Museum in Baghdad, Iraq, founded in 1926 by British archaeologist Gertrude Bell as the Baghdad Antiquities Museum to preserve Mesopotamian treasures from foreign excavations, houses over 500,000 artifacts spanning 7,000 years of human history from Sumerian, Akkadian, Assyrian, Babylonian, and Islamic eras, including iconic pieces like the Warka Vase, Standard of Ur, and Nimrud ivories.

Relocated to its current 45,000-square-meter building in Baghdad's Al-Salihiyyah neighborhood in 1966, it features galleries with monumental sculptures, cuneiform tablets, and jewelry that chronicle cradle-of-civilization milestones, though it suffered catastrophic looting during the 2003 U.S. invasion with about 15,000 items stolen and significant damage to displays. 

Reopened in phases after extensive international restoration efforts, including recoveries of over 17,000 artifacts, it stands as Iraq's premier cultural institution symbolizing resilience amid conflict.