SULAYMANIYAH
MUSEUM
![](640px-The_Sulaymaniyah_Museum.jpg)
School
children are visiting the Sulaymaniyah Museum
Established
:
July 14, 1961
Location : Sulaymaniyah, Sulaymaniyah Governorate, Kurdistan
Region, Iraq
Type : Archaeological museum
Director : Hashim Hama Abdullah
The
Sulaymaniyah Museum or Slemani Museum, is an archeological museum
located within heart of Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan Region of
Iraq. It is the second largest museum in Iraq, after the National
Museum of Iraq in Baghdad. It houses artifacts dating from the prehistoric
period to the late Islamic and Ottoman periods. Several halls of
the Museum have undergone renovation work and the Museum was closed
to the public for refurbishment from October 1, 2018, to October
2019.
History
:
Opening :
The Museum was opened officially on July 14, 1961. Initially, it
was composed of a small building in the Shorsh District. After several
years, the Museum acquired a new and large building in the heart
of Salim Street in the year 1980 CE. The current building has an
area of 6000 square meters and is a one-story building. The artifacts
are displayed in one small hall (which was recently renovated by
the UNESCO) and two large and long halls which are connected by
a square-shaped and open lecture hall. During the Iraq-Iran war
(1980-1988 CE), the Museum was closed entirely to the public. It
was reopened for a very short period in 1990 CE. After the Iraqi
invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 CE, the Museum was closed once
again. It was re-opened officially by Mr. Jalal Talabani on August
20, 2000 CE; Mr. Talabani was the secretary general of the Patriotic
Union of Kurdistan at that time.
Post-2003
:
After the US-led invasion of Iraq and subsequent looting of the
National Museum in Baghdad, The Sulaymaniyah Museum helped to recover
and return stolen artifacts through the controversial practice of
buying looted artifacts.
UNESCO
:
Since 2011 CE, the Museum has been collaborating with the UNESCO
to develop and renovate the Museum and expand its building.
Paikuli
Gallery :
![](640px-The_Paikuli_Gallery_at_the_Sulaymaniyah_Museum,_final_preparations_before_official_opening.jpg)
The
Paikuli Gallery at the Sulaymaniyah Museum, final preparations before
official opening
The Sulaymaniyah Museum in collaboration with the Sapienza University
of Rome opened a new gallery on June 10, 2019. The gallery was sponsored
by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAECI) and the Ministry
of Cultural Heritage (MiBAC). All of the inscribed stone blocks
(including many newly discovered ones after 2006) of the commemorative
monument of the Sassanian king Narseh (c., 293 CE) were displayed
for the very first time to the public. In addition, many building
stone blocks and some Sassanian coins and bullae were also included
in this permanent exhibition.
Selmani
Museum Kids :
![](640px-Slemani_Museum_Kids.jpg)
Slemani
Museum Kids
On September 5, 2019, the Sulaymaniyah Museum inaugurated a hall
dedicated to children and called it "Slemani Museum Kids".
The hall has many teaching and demonstrative tools for children.
This small museum is the first bespoke museum space for children
in Iraq. The Consul General of the UK in Kurdistan, Slemani governor,
and director-general of the directorate of archaeology and antiquities
in Kurdistan have attended the event, as well as many other high-ranking
officials in Kurdistan Region in addition to the public. Slemani
Museum Kids was a co-creation of the project Archaeological Practice
and Heritage Protection in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The project
is led by the University of Glasgow (UK) in collaboration with the
Slemani Directorate of Antiquities and Inherit (UK) and is funded
by the British Council's Cultural Protection Fund, in partnership
with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport.
Prehistory
Gallery :
The Sulaymaniyah Museum renovated two large halls in order to open
a new permanent exhibition displaying hundreds of artifacts dating
back to the prehistoric period. The artifacts mainly came from Iraqi
Kurdistan and its Paleolithic caves, in addition to several recently
excavated ancient sites and mounds. The project was sponsored by
the Embassy of the United States of America. The exhibition was
supposed to be opened in early March 2020, but because of the coronavirus
pandemic, the inauguration date was deferred.
Gallery
:
![](594px-Tablet_V_of_the_Epic_of_Gilgamesh.jpg)
Tablet
V of the Epic of Gilgamesh
![](512px-thumbnail.jpg)
Stela
of Iddi-Sin, King of Simurrum. It dates back to the Old-Babylonian
Period. From Qarachatan Village, Sulaymaniyah Governorate, Iraqi
Kurdistan. The Sulaymaniyah Museum, Iraq
![](640px-Stone_block_with_Paikuli_inscription.jpg)
Stone
block with Paikuli inscription
![](640px-_The_lady_at_the_window,__one_of_the_famous_Nimrud_ivories%27_plaques._The_Sulaymaniyah_Museum,_Iraq..jpg)
"The
lady at the window," one of the famous Nimrud ivories' plaques.
The Sulaymaniyah Museum, Iraq
![](640px-Earrings_from_Shulgi.jpg)
Earrings
from Shulgi
![](640px-An_Inscribed_stand%27s_head_mentioning_the_name_of_Entemena,_ruler_of_Lagash,_early_dynastic_period,_c._2400_BCE._Sulaymaniyah_Museum.jpg)
An
Inscribed stand's head, early dynastic period
![](640px-A_brick_stamped_with_the_name_of_Ur-Nammu_of_Ur.jpg)
A
brick stamped with the name of Ur-Nammu of Ur
![](640px-The_Sulaymaniyah_Museum%27s_Hall.jpg)
This
is one of the two large halls of the Sulaymaniyah Museum
![](640px-Renovated_Hall_by_the_UNESCO,_The_Sulaymaniyah_Museum.jpg)
This
hall was renovated by the UNESCO and was opened in April 2013. It
contains most of the Sulaymaniyah Museum masterpieces
![](640px-The_Sulaymaniyah_Museum,_Iraqi_Kurdistan.jpg)
The
Sulaymaniyah Museum, Iraqi Kurdistan
![](640px-The_Sulaymaniyah_Museum,_Iraq.jpg)
The
Sulaymaniyah Museum, Iraq
![](640px-The_Sulaymaniyah_Museum%27s_entrance_hall_undergoing_renovation_work,_December_3,_2018.jpg)
The
Sulaymaniyah Museum's entrance hall undergoing renovation work,
December 3, 2018
![](640px-Packing_pre-historic_Mesopotamian_artifacts_for_storage,_part_of_a_renovation_work._The_Sulaymaniyah_Museum,_December_3,_2018.jpg)
Packing
pre-historic Mesopotamian artifacts for storage, part of a renovation
work. The Sulaymaniyah Museum, December 3, 2018
![](640px-Packing_Ur_III_and_Old-Babylonian_Mesopotamian_artifacts_for_storage,_part_of_a_renovation_work._The_Sulaymaniyah_Museum,_December_3,_2018.jpg)
Packing
Ur III and Old-Babylonian Mesopotamian artifacts for storage, part
of a renovation work. The Sulaymaniyah Museum, December 3, 2018
![](640px-Inscribed_stone_block_of_Paikuli_Tower,_Middle_Persian_and_Parthian_scripts,_at_the_Sulaymaniyah_Museum.jpg)
Inscribed
stone block of Paikuli Tower, Middle Persian and Parthian scripts,
at the Sulaymaniyah Museum
![](640px-The_new_permanent_exhibition_of_Mesopotamian_Prehistory,_final_preparations_before_official_opening.jpg)
The
new permanent exhibition of Mesopotamian Prehistory, final preparations
before official opening
Source
:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulaymaniyah_Museum