Cradle of civilization

IRAQ: The rivers Euphrates and Tigris flow through the land once known as Mesopotamia, which has been called "the cradle of civilization". This region largely corresponds to modern day Iraq, where, promisingly, the National Museum has been reopened.

The National Museum in Baghdad once contained the Middle East's most impressive collection of historical objects, some nearly 7,000 years old. But during the Iraq War, in particular in 2003, thousands of the priceless relics disappeared. Foreign soldiers were severely criticized for not doing enough to protect the museum. In some cases, they helped themselves to the objects, although some of the pieces have been returned voluntarily.

During the Iraq War, thousands of priceless relics disappeared from the National Museum in Baghdad.

In the meantime, the Iraqi government has recovered nearly half of the 15,000 stolen artefacts; experts believe that the remaining pieces are still being traded and sold in underworld art deals. Opening the museum is perhaps a sign that the country is returning to normality despite bombings by insurgents and occupation by Western troops.

"There's a long road ahead of us," said Iraq's prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, at the opening ceremony. "We want to make our museum a place which will be at the forefront of international museums," he told The Guardian.