Case · Looting
The National Museum of Iraq Looting
Thousands of artefacts lost in the fall of Baghdad
Share
Image: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
In the chaos following the 2003 invasion, the National Museum of Iraq was looted of thousands of objects spanning the dawn of civilisation. Recovery efforts continue two decades on.
Over several days in April 2003, looters took an estimated 15,000 items — cylinder seals, tablets, sculpture, and the famed Warka Vase and Mask among them. Some thefts appeared opportunistic, others carefully targeted.
International campaigns, amnesties, and customs seizures have returned thousands of objects, but many remain lost or circulating in the illicit antiquities trade. The looting reshaped global policy on protecting heritage in conflict.