US to Hand Over 3,500-year-old 'Gilgamesh' Tablet to Iraq

A portion of the Epic of Gilgamesh that was looted from Iraq. AP file photo
A portion of the Epic of Gilgamesh that was looted from Iraq. AP file photo
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US to Hand Over 3,500-year-old 'Gilgamesh' Tablet to Iraq

A portion of the Epic of Gilgamesh that was looted from Iraq. AP file photo
A portion of the Epic of Gilgamesh that was looted from Iraq. AP file photo

The United States will formally return an illegally imported 3,500-year-old tablet recounting the epic of Gilgamesh to Iraq this week, the United Nations' cultural body UNESCO announced Monday.

The ancient tablet, which a wealthy US collector had acquired along with other Iraqi artifacts to display in the Washington Museum of the Bible, will be handed over to Iraqi officials at the Smithsonian Institution on September 23.

UNESCO called the repatriation of the tablet, along with 17,000 other artifacts sent back to Iraq in July, "a significant victory in the fight against the illicit trafficking of cultural objects."

"The theft and illicit trafficking of ancient artifacts continues to be a key funding source for terrorist groups and other organized criminal organizations," the Paris-based agency said in a statement.

It said that when ISIS controlled large parts of Iraq and Syria over 2014-2019, Iraqi archaeological sites and museums were systematically looted.

The rare fragment, which recounts a dream sequence from the Gilgamesh epic in Akkadian cuneiform script, is one of many ancient artifacts from Iraq and the Middle East collected by David Green, the billionaire owner of the Hobby Lobby craft store chain.

It was seized by the US Justice Department in 2019, two years after Green opened the museum dedicated to ancient Christian history in downtown Washington.



Stargazing Event Launched in Umm Al-'Asafir in Saudi Arabia

The site is equipped with advanced astronomical telescopes, allowing visitors to observe stars and galaxies in an ideal atmosphere free from light pollution. (SPA)
The site is equipped with advanced astronomical telescopes, allowing visitors to observe stars and galaxies in an ideal atmosphere free from light pollution. (SPA)
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Stargazing Event Launched in Umm Al-'Asafir in Saudi Arabia

The site is equipped with advanced astronomical telescopes, allowing visitors to observe stars and galaxies in an ideal atmosphere free from light pollution. (SPA)
The site is equipped with advanced astronomical telescopes, allowing visitors to observe stars and galaxies in an ideal atmosphere free from light pollution. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia’s Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Reserve Development Authority launched a 10-day stargazing event on Sunday in Umm al-'Asafir valley, located 50 kilometers south of Rafha Governorate in the Northern Borders region.

Part of the Winter at Darb Zubaidah season and designed for astronomy and nature enthusiasts, the event offers a unique opportunity to explore the night sky.

The site is equipped with advanced astronomical telescopes, allowing visitors to observe stars and galaxies in an ideal atmosphere free from light pollution.

Through this initiative, the authority seeks to promote astronomical culture, raise awareness of space sciences, and inspire visitors to contemplate the wonders of the universe under the magical night sky of Umm al-'Asafir.