A 5,000-year-old Sumerian riddle
A riddle from clay tablets describes a house you enter with eyes closed and leave with eyes open, and its answer shows how the Sumerians valued school.
Writings
His written posts and video talks from his public page, grouped by topic. Summaries are ours; the originals (in Arabic) are on his page.
All writings and talks (17)
The sequence of civilisations in Mesopotamia
A simple introduction to the civilisations of Mesopotamia and how one followed another.
The world's first academy of mathematics
A teaser question: where did the world's first mathematics academy arise? The answer takes us to ancient Iraq.
About Taha Baqir
An introduction to the Iraqi scholar who brought the Epic of Gilgamesh and Mesopotamian history to Arabic readers.
About King Ashurbanipal
The Assyrian king who gathered one of the oldest known libraries in history.
New Year in ancient Iraq
On the Akitu festival, and the hope that it might become a national day for Iraqis.
“Tuhu”, a Sumerian–Babylonian dish
A recipe from clay tablets whose taste is still close to our kitchens today.
Bread and the tannour
A tribute to home bread and its clay oven, rooted deep in Mesopotamia.
Why don't we cut down the sidr tree?
An episode of “Under Excavation” on the place of the sidr (lote) tree in Iraqi memory.
We are the origin and root of this land
A short message on the living link between today's Iraqis and the civilisations of Sumer, Babylon and Assyria.
Ancient cities beneath Baghdad and Kufa
On ancient cities lying beneath Baghdad and Kufa, still waiting to be uncovered.
A pot or a statue: which dates a site?
An interactive question: which is more useful for dating an archaeological site, a pottery jar or a statue?
The remarkable Sumerian necklace
A look at a striking Sumerian necklace and what it tells us about the craftsmen of that time.
The story of the Ishtar Gate
A talk on Babylon's Ishtar Gate and how parts of it left its homeland.
What remains of the Ishtar Gate in Babylon
A stop at what is left of the Ishtar Gate in its original place in Babylon.
Recovering Iraqi antiquities from world museums
A talk on the difficulty of recovering Iraqi antiquities displayed in museums abroad.
A great museum worthy of Iraq
A proposal for a large national museum to gather the country's treasures and welcome the world.
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