Iraq calls to preserve heritage buildings as “cultural legacy”

Shafaq News/ On Monday, the Iraqi State Board ofAntiquities and Heritage (SBAH) called for support in preserving the country’s heritage buildings, recognizing them as an important part of Iraq's cultural history.

In response to inquiries circulating on social media about the legal status of buying and selling these buildings and their conversion into restaurants or hospitals, Iyad Kazem, the Director-General of the SBAH Heritage Department, stated, "Most heritage buildings in Baghdad and the provinces are privately owned, while others are owned by government institutions, such as the Baghdad Municipality, the Endowments Diwan, and local governments, with the SBAH owning only a few of these buildings."

These buildings are reportedly protected under Antiquities and Heritage Law No. 55 of 2002, which allows the sale and purchase of heritage properties, provided they are preserved and not demolished or altered in a way that compromises their heritage status. It also emphasizes the need for their use to align with their cultural identity.

In the context of protecting historic sites, SBAH urged all government entities, cultural institutions, and relevant stakeholders—particularly the Baghdad Municipality, as the land administration authority—to support its efforts in preserving the heritage buildings as “a cultural legacy that documents a significant period in Iraq’s cultural and social history.”