The Iraqi Minister of Culture and Antiquities, Dr. Ahmed Fakak Al-Badrani, stated that as many as five thousand historical and cultural places in the country have been destroyed since the ISIS aggression in 2014.

The minister spoke at the China-Arab Countries Summit in Riyadh and provided information about the destruction of historical and cultural values in Iraq in the wake of the ISIS aggression in 2014.

According to the minister, 8 percentage of the five thousand historical and cultural places that have been destroyed by ISIS are made up of archeological houses, mosques, churches and schools. These include 108 mosques, 15 cemeteries, 19 churches, 37 schools and camps, 13 market places, 13 bathhouses, 341 cultural centers, museums and historical places.

The 2014 attacks by ISIS also left a large number of historical and religious places belonging to Yazidis, Muslims, Christians and many other faiths.

On the other hand, countless historical artifacts were smuggled from Iraq to Europe via Turkey.