Welcome

The Friends of Basrah Museum (FOBM) is a UK registered Charity founded in 2010 to assist with the establishment of a new museum in Basrah, Iraq, dedicated to the archaeological and historical inheritance of Basrah in particular and Iraq in general and to foster the study of the cultural heritage of the Basrah region and more generally southern Iraq.

In September 2016 the Basrah Gallery opened with a launching ceremony and a two day international conference. In March 2019 the further three galleries - Assyrian, Babylon and Sumer Galleries were opened, marked by an official ceremony presided over by Qahtan Alabeed.

In December 2016, the Trustees of the charity were awarded a grant from the Cultural protection Fund to complete the installation of the three remaining galleries and to assist with museum staff training and activities. The Cultural Protection Fund is managed by the British Council in partnership with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. The grant was extended in January 2019 to establish a Basrah Museum Library. The Trustees are grateful to all our generous supporters who have helped make this work possible.

The British Council’s £30m Cultural Protection Fund, in partnership with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, was set up to protect cultural heritage at risk due to conflict in the Middle East and North Africa.