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Wednesday, 12th December 2007 (3122 views)

The most valuable artefacts in the National Museum of Iraq – Assyrian gold pieces known as the Nimrud treasures – were spared from looters during a break-in because they were sealed in crates and locked away in a bank vault, it has emerged.

According to a report from the New York Times, museum directors have recovered around 4,000 missing items out of an estimated 15,000 Mesopotamian artefacts stolen by looters during the fall of Bagdhad.

The museum is currently undergoing a number of restoration efforts, with some gems, carved stones and Islamic coins recovered under the museum's budget. Items that have been retrieved are currently being stored in the museum's secured vaults.

This week, the museum opened its doors to a group of 36 politicians, reporters and guards, although most items are now stored out of sight.

Amira Eidan, executive director of the national museum, told press that there is currently no specific date set for it to reopen.

According to a Wall Street Journal article published in 2003, the 2,800-year-old gold Nimrud treasures were recovered in 1988. They have never been seen outside of Iraq.

 

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