Iraq National Library and Archive

Iraqi national library founded in 1920, devastated by looting in 2003, now a symbol of cultural resilience.

The Iraq National Library and Archive in Baghdad was founded in 1920, the same year Iraq came under British mandate, making it one of the oldest institutions in the modern Iraqi state. It is the country's primary repository for historical documents, literary works and state records. In 2003, during the US-led invasion, the library was heavily looted and partially set on fire — hundreds of thousands of unique manuscripts and documents were lost in what historians consider a cultural catastrophe. Since then, the library has been slowly rebuilt and stands as a symbol of Baghdad's determination to preserve and recover its cultural memory.