Baghdad: The Iraqi cultural institutions have been committed to preserving the architectural nature of Baghdad through numerous initiatives that helped rectify the distorted manifestations of the civil architectural identity. Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), former Mayor of Baghdad, Alaa Maan, affirmed that Baghdad Municipality has worked diligently over the past years and continues to do so to address all forms of distortion that have affected the architectural identity.
According to Qatar News Agency, Maan highlighted that a joint collaboration has been forged between the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities, the Baghdad Operations Command, the Baghdad Governorate, and the Iraqi Private Banks League to conduct a number of field campaigns aimed at monitoring potential encroachments on several heritage buildings, in addition to organizing awareness-raising conferences to highlight the importance of caring for the designs of modern buildings, along with the historic depth of Baghdad when engineering designs are created.
He added that the Ministry of Culture will grant final licenses for monuments and murals, with Iraqi university artists and academics evaluating designs before implementation.
Iraqi architect and member of Alq Baghdad Project, Ali Jaber, highlighted to QNA that the cultural institutions operating in Iraqi architectural heritage recognized the phenomenon of this distortion and consequently launched a campaign with the help of the United Nations representation to revive this architectural heritage across all Iraqi cities.
For many years, the Alq Baghdad Project has initiated a mammoth effort to repair architectural buildings in Baghdad, such as Rashid Street, noting that few institutions focus on Iraqi heritage due to limited support, though many volunteers are interested in restoring Iraq’s architectural glory, with ongoing efforts to preserve its architectural legacy.
The Director General of Iraq’s General Arts Department at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities, Dr. Qasim Khashan, told QNA that his department is vested with licensing the designs for public buildings in Baghdad, affirming that his department has always been committed to protecting the Iraqi architectural identity.
He confirmed the ministry’s ongoing efforts within an overall government plan to maintain Baghdad’s authentic architectural styles, safeguarding its historical and unique Iraqi design.