Iraq’s Kirkuk launches major plan to protect its ancient heritage

Shafaq News – Kirkuk

On Friday, Kirkuk unveiled its "largest" heritage protection campaign in decades, aiming to secure more than 1,100 archaeological sites across the province.

Raed al-Obaidi, director of the Kirkuk Antiquities and Heritage Department, told Shafaq News that 300 guards will be recruited from Iraq’s social protection program to help curb encroachment, looting, and illegal excavations.

A provincial committee will oversee recruitment and deployment across key districts, he added. “The campaign will cover nearly 80% of Kirkuk’s heritage sites in an unprecedented effort to preserve the city’s cultural identity."

Iraq’s archaeological legacy has suffered extensive damage from war, neglect, and theft. During the 2003 Iraq War, the National Museum in Baghdad lost about 15,000 artifacts—including 5,000 cylinder seals—with only a fraction ever recovered, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Since then, thousands of undocumented sites nationwide have remained vulnerable to looting and illegal trade.

In Kirkuk, the historic citadel and surrounding old town have long endured erosion and neglect. The site has been proposed for Iraq’s tentative UNESCO World Heritage list, yet many of its ancient structures remain at risk without sustained protection.

Read more: Iraq's archaeological sites face neglect despite potential to boost economy, experts say