Did you know that Italy has a presence in Iraq? Italy is, in fact, very invested in cultural preservation in Iraq.

The Italian Embassy, the Italian Cultural Institute in Washington, and The Centro Ricerche Archeologiche e Scavi di Torino (CRAST) have organized a conference: “Patrimonio in pericolo. Il Centro Scavi di Torino e la Riqualificazione del Patrimonio Culturale Iracheno.”

CRAST was established in 1963 with the mission of supporting archaeological research, mainly outside of Italy, for the Università di Torino. 


CRAST has been working, uninterrupted, in Iraq for the past 50 years to help protect and promote the Iraqi culture. Immediately following the looting of the Museum in Baghdad (2003), CRAST began a “requalification project” of the museum, and it simultaneously offered training projects and classes. As a result, the museum was able to officially re-open in 2015.

The exhibit in Washington, DC will highlight the main activities of CRAST and the work it has done in Iraq for during the past 10 years. Recently, CRAST restarted its archaeological research in the south of Iraq. The Italian-Iraqi Institute of Archaeological Sciences was opened in 1969, but it was looted during the Second Gulf War. In April 2016, a historical building close to the Qislah, old Turkish military quarters, was reopened with the goal of protecting Iraqi cultural awareness and carrying out scientific research.

Reservations for the exhibit must be made through Eventbright, and a photo ID and QR-Code are required for entry. 

Doors will be open between 6:00PM and 6:55PM.

Location: Embassy of Italy – Auditorium

3000 Whitehaven Street NW

Washington, DC 20008