THE PROMOTION OF IRAQI CULTURAL HERITAGE AMONG STUDENTS

Around 300 students from different secondary schools located in the governorates of Baghdad, Qadisiyah and Najaf were involved in different activities with the overall aim of stimulating a dialogue upon the importance of the pre-Islamic civilizations, that shaped the natural and social landscape of Iraq.

One of the teaching materials, developed and then disseminated among the students, consists of three comic books in Arabic language to promote interest in the common cultural heritage and identity of Iraqi society. Comics are a means of communication really appreciated by the younger generations, thanks to their power of suggestion and fascination. The stories told in the comic books are focused on the discovery of the Iraq Museum in Baghdad, on the importance of the landscape as part of the local cultural heritage and on the job of the archaeologist. You can watch the pictures of the ongoing activities with the Iraqi schools from the right column as well as download and read the three comic books in Arabic, English and Italian languages.

Some school trips were also organized in the autumn months, in order to enhance the educational strategies carried out inside classrooms and to give to the students direct access to their cultural heritage. The discovery of the archeological and historical landscape of their country can contribute to enhance the students’ interest for their common past. The students from the school in Baghdad were accompanied on a trip to the National Iraq Museum located in their city, where a guided tour focused on the archaeology and history of Iraq was carried out. The students from Najaf, accompanied by a tour guide, visited the Islamic site of Al-Hirah, where archaeological excavations by the SBAH are currently in progress. Finally, the students from Qadisiyah visited the ancient city of Nippur, where the archaeological remains are still well visible.