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lost palaces of iraq

• Message 1.Μύ

  Posted by acharlesworth (U3261216) on Saturday, 18th February 2006

  why since the continued occupation of iraq has the bbc not seen fit to show dan cruickshank's wonderful and humane programme on the lost palaces of iraq so that the world can continue as he was to be concerned about this precious heritage? i realise it is too dangerous for Professor cruickshank to go back but a repeat might stir the conscience of the world. This is our heritage where we all originally came from it should not be some faroff civilization of which we know little and care less.
  Andy Charlesworth

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  Posted by generallobus (U1869191) on Friday, 24th February 2006

  I couldn't agree more Andy. It is so depressing to see these beautiful places being destroyed in the name of an opinion. I remember the pictures of the Taliban and their destruction of huge rock buddhas and the mess they left in the Kabul museum, which housed artifacts going back to Alexander the Great including some fantasic examples of Ghandara sculture, which was a hybrid of Greek and Indian sculpture. I remember Micheal Wood's face, the poor man looked like he was about to cry. The refusal of the 'civilised' world to do any thing about these outrages is appalling. The US/UK didn't seem to give a stuff about any of the religious/historical buildings in the glorious and totally legitimate Gulf Wars.
  
  

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  Posted by thegoodbadugly (U2942713) on Friday, 24th February 2006

  i agree,also i watched the www for signs of looted babalonian and iraq artafacts being sold on the web but little or none were sold.

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  Posted by generallobus (U1869191) on Friday, 24th February 2006

  thegoodbadugly
  
  Yeah, the depressing truth is that prob most of the treasures from the ancient world are in the hands of private collectors. I bet some selfish so and so has got Alexander's sarcophagus propping up his telly. There was that scandal the other year in Italy where, I think it was Etruscan graves were being robbed wholesale and going staight into private hands. In Anglia at the mo, mobile security patrols are watching over the site of the excavations of the home base of the Iceni to try and stop our treasures being looted.
  
  I agree with Indiana Jones "It belongs in a museum!"

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  Posted by lolbeeble (U1662865) on Friday, 24th February 2006

  Erm, they're not going to put them on E-bay now are they, for sale, one clay Neolithic Goddess figurine, v. famous, provenance from the Iraqi department of antiquities. Do you not think that they most likely went into the hands of private collectors who made specific requests years ago. As it stands there have always been means of smuggling antiquities, the bloke who excavated Babylon decided that he was being shafted by Saddam Hussain and fled the country with a load of antiquities.

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  Posted by Plancenoit (U1237957) on Friday, 24th February 2006

  Unfortunately, (fortunately?) there are many objects from antiquity floating around to be had, because the population realised the west would cough up enough to pay the electric bill, or feed the kids for a week, simply by obtaining an obscure pottery figure from the museum down the road. Needs must when the Devil drives.
  
  The heart of the cradle of civilization has been ripped out and dispersed.
  
  An archaeologists nightmare, but necessary for the progression of mankind?? Don't forget what the Romans did for the Ancient Library. They were soon forgiven.....or are we just living in their shadow???

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  Posted by fairlace (U2945279) on Friday, 3rd March 2006

  I couldn't agree more Andy. It is so depressing to see these beautiful places being destroyed in the name of an opinion. I remember the pictures of the Taliban and their destruction of huge rock buddhas and the mess they left in the Kabul museum, which housed artifacts going back to Alexander the Great including some fantasic examples of Ghandara sculture, which was a hybrid of Greek and Indian sculpture. I remember Micheal Wood's face, the poor man looked like he was about to cry. The refusal of the 'civilised' world to do any thing about these outrages is appalling. The US/UK didn't seem to give a stuff about any of the religious/historical buildings in the glorious and totally legitimate Gulf Wars.
  
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  Slight message of hope, the Buddhas are to be rebuilt eventually and the people who lived nearby in a very inhospitable area have been moved a few miles away to a better place, the whole village joined in the building of new very basic accomodation. Eventually a long way down the line it is hoped that people will be able to visit the Buddhas again but I doubt that will be any time soon.
  As to the Kabul museum, not all the artefacts were lost; many were taken by the staff to safe keeping and returned. I do not know what the position is now given the level of fighting it may well have been only a temporary respite.

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  Posted by generallobus (U1869191) on Friday, 10th March 2006

  Thanks fairlace, I think I was a bit too morose on that last post
  
  Sadly this kind of thing has gone on thru' history. I'm thinking here of things like the dissolution of the monasteries when Henry the eight became head of the church in England. The related desruction of the monastic libraries has been described as 'one of the the greatest cultural losses caused by the English Reformation',
  
  Also the destruction of the Library of Alexandria, Delphi, Bits of Athens - all I think by the Roman general Sulla.....
  
  Ahhh, the blackness is descending again!!
  
  

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