The question of looted heritage return in contemporary international relations: Middle East as a case-study

Abstract

The problem of destruction and looting of cultural heritage has long been a serious problem for the international community. Despite a significant number of various multilateral agreements, resolutions and recommendations of international organizations, the methods and means of combating such crimes remain insufficient. This is partly due to the fact that the trade in cultural property is a lucrative business, and countries are in no hurry to introduce strict controls on the movement of artifacts. Countries from which heritage is extracted and sold on the black market are asking for the return of stolen property. This article examines the problem of the return or restitution of cultural heritage to countries of origin on the example of the Middle East region. The study aims to trace the public discourse about the return of stolen artifacts to countries such as Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Yemen from Western Europe and the United States. Using quantitative and qualitative content analysis to study documents, media discourse and official statements, we examine how the issue of restitution and return of heritage, often located in European and American museums, is presented in the public sphere of the countries studied. The results show that the process of “decolonization” of European museums is slow and difficult, since the public consciousness still retains the image of the “other”: a weak, dependent, conflict-ridden, unstable Middle East, unable to take care of its own heritage.