Iraqi Culture Ministry retrieves ancient Mesopotamian treasures - in pictures

Antiquities recently recovered from the US, announced in a recent trip by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani, are displayed in Baghdad. All photos: AP
The majority of the artefacts date back to ancient Mesopotamia
Pieces were also recovered from the UK, Norway, Germany and Jordan
A total of 181 artefacts were displayed in a ceremony in Baghdad
With the fall of Baghdad during the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled the government, looters broke into the Iraqi National Museum, walking off with thousands of priceless artefacts
Illegal archaeological digs also became widespread, mainly in remote areas that troops were unable to secure
Looters continued digging in thousands of unprotected archaeological sites in Iraq, leading to hundreds of pieces showing up on the international market
With the help of the international community, Iraq has managed to retrieve thousands of pieces of its stolen heritage from various places
One of the artefacts returned to the Iraqi capital