Baghdad (AA) – The opening ceremony of the Ottoman Cultural Heritage Book Exhibition of the Iraqi Ministry of Culture was held on Wednesday in Baghdad.
The Iraqi Minister of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities, Ahmed Al-Badrani, and the Turkish Ambassador to Baghdad, Ali Reza Guney, attended the opening of the one-day exhibition in the Iraqi capital.
The exhibition included hundreds of books in Turkish and Ottoman languages related to Ottoman history, as well as some calligraphy paintings by Iraqi calligraphers.
Al-Badrani said during a press conference at the ceremony that the House of Iraqi Manuscripts in Baghdad not only possesses documents related to the history of Iraq, but also possesses the history of the entire region.
He pointed out that during the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, many of the works at the center were burned or lost.
Al-Badrani highlighted the friendly relations between Iraq and Turkey, noting that the historical ties between the two countries go back more than 500 years, including geographical and religious ties.
He said, “The Ottoman archive contains many documents. These documents tell the history of the three provinces in Iraq that were under the Ottoman Empire,” expressing their desire to cooperate with Turkey in the field of archives for the benefit of graduate students.
He added that neighboring countries contributed to the return of historical artifacts stolen from Iraq.
Ambassador Guney expressed his satisfaction with the display of Turkish books in this historical site.
“The Iraqi National Library and Archives is a valuable source of knowledge of the rich history of Iraq and the region,” he said.
“It seems that the building we live in has been reborn from its ashes. The exhibition of artifacts from our shared history with our Iraqi brothers and sisters in this building that has witnessed history highlights our historical ties, which contributes to bridging the distance between us.”
Referring to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's initiative to establish the National Library, Guney announced their intention to declare today, March 27, the joint Turkish-Iraqi Culture Day.
He also announced that these artifacts will be displayed in the Turkish section of the library with the support of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) within a year.
After the press conference, Al-Badrani presented a memorial shield to Johnny.
*Written by Serdar Dincil from Istanbul
