Baghdad Archaeological Museum
Founded by Miss Gertrude Bell in 1921 to honor the new kingdom of Iraq, much of the initial collection of the museum came from her personal collection of items. Miss Bell is the Custodian of Artifacts for the British Mandate Authority, which currently has control over all artifacts recovered in Iraq. Mr. Kalid Shapur is the director of the museum and handles the day to day management, as well as the limited internal researches.
While awaiting the design and construction of a dedicated building, the museum is being housed in an old stone building that served the administration of the Ottoman Empire. The bottom floor of the museum holds the public exhibits, the second level has offices, and the basement and top floors are storage areas. The items on exhibit at this time are primarily from the Ottoman period, along with a few pots and other items recovered from the German excavation of Babylon. Currently, the museum avoids potential concerns about aniconism by not displaying any pieces depicting animate subjects.
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