The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago houses a world-renowned collection of artifacts from ancient Syria, Israel, Persia, Anatolia, Egypt, Nubia, and Mesopotamia. On this website, visitors can explore some of these artifacts up close while also learning more about the history of this important region. Visitors should first visit "Life in Mesopotamia" to learn more about the...

The modern countries of Syria and Iraq (among others) are located in what was once Ancient Mesopotamia, and as such, they are home to numerous valuable cultural heritage sites. In recent years, political struggles in both countries have placed many of those sites at risk and some have sadly been destroyed. Project Anqa, whose name means "phoenix" in Arabic, is an initiative begun in 2015 that aims...