Prof Robert Hoyland Visits Basra Museum, Iraq

Last Tuesday, I attended the opening of the new Basra museum in Iraq's southernmost city as part of a delegation of international visitors who had come to celebrate this exciting cultural event. The museum is in an old riverside pavilion, which had been used for a time by Saddam Hussein and British troops and which has now been beautifully refurbished to house the antiquities of the region that have for so long been without a home. 

The delegation also participated in a two-day conference, convened by the British Institute for the Study of Iraq, which discussed plans for fulfilling Basra's cultural potential and looked at some of the exciting new developments in the region, such as the exploration of Alexander the Great's city, Charax Spasinou, and new excavations at the ancient city of Ur, which we were lucky enough to visit along with the restored marshes that Saddam Hussein had attempted to obliterate.

The collection of antiquities tells the story of the city of Basra.
(AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani)

Unlikely as it may sound to some, Basra and its environs have plenty of attractions for the intrepid lover of antiquities and nature.

Read Robert Hoyland's bio here. 

These coins on display date back over 2,000 years.
(AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani)