The Iraqi General Authority for Antiquities and Heritage announced today, Sunday, the inclusion of three Iraqi heritage sites: the Al-Akhidir Palace, Qara Saray, and Khan Al-Iskandariya, in the list of architectural and urban heritage by the Arab Organization for Education, Culture and Science (ALECSO), in a move that enhances the presence of Iraqi heritage in Arab cultural forums.
The authority stated in a statement, seen by "Video News Agency," that the announcement of the inclusion of these sites came during the eleventh meeting of the member states on the list, which was held at the headquarters of the Arab League in Cairo, Egypt, as part of the efforts of the ministry and the General Authority for Antiquities and Heritage to highlight the historical and architectural value of Iraqi sites.
The statement quoted the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Ali Al-Dukhaili, affirming the importance of continuing efforts aimed at protecting Iraqi heritage sites, documenting them, and promoting their civilizational value, as well as enhancing their presence in Arab and international forums, supporting Iraq's status as the home of one of the oldest human civilizations.
For his part, the Assistant Director General of the Department of Maintenance and Preservation of Antiquities and Iraq's Monitoring Officer at the meeting, Iyad Hassan Abdul Hamza, explained that the inclusion of the three sites came as a result of efforts made to follow up their files and highlight their historical and architectural significance.
He added that this step provides broader opportunities for cooperation with Arab institutions and organizations concerned with heritage protection and helps enhance the recognition of Iraqi landmarks and preserve them for future generations.
The ministry and the General Authority for Antiquities and Heritage confirmed their commitment to continue working on documenting historical sites, protecting them, and highlighting their cultural value, thereby enhancing Iraq's presence in regional initiatives and programs aimed at preserving architectural and urban heritage.